| Aziz Idris, Fizah HB & Daniel Lim |
MORE than 600 families can now live comfortably after receiving keys of their respective houses from His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, in a ceremony held yesterday.
On the sidelines of the key presentation event, one of the recipients of cluster housing, Syuhada binti Haji Idris, told the Bulletin she had waited almost 10 years for her new home.
“Alhamdulillah, all praises to Allah the Almighty and the leadership of His Majesty. My family of five can now live comfortably in our own house. I cannot express my feelings with words, especially when receiving the house personally from His Majesty. All I can say is that His Majesty is truly a caring monarch sent by Allah the Almighty to the Abode of Peace,” said the 38-year-old.
Meanwhile, Abdul Rahman bin Haji Abdul Rashid expressed his gratitude to His Majesty for presenting the keys to his new cluster house.
“Alhamdulillah, it is an honour to receive the house after moving around for the past few years,” said the 32-year-old.
He told the Bulletin that he has been living in the house since late 2017 together with his wife, two children and a sibling, and is happy with the house’s condition, the surrounding environment and the neighbourhood.
Another recipient, Hajah Norsalwanawati binti Haji Shahbudin, expressed delight in receiving her own house.
“I was happy when I received the letter of approval despite the long wait, but it ended up fruitfully,” said the mother of three, adding, “I am very happy and thank Allah the Almighty and His Majesty for granting this gift to me and my family.”
Also among the recipients of cluster housing was Norliza binti Haji Jalil, who along with her husband Mohd Norfizan bin Zainidi and two children, spoke to the Bulletin during His Majesty’s visit to their new residence.
She explained that they had previously lived in Kampong Lambak. She had signed up for the National Housing Scheme in 2005 and waited 13 years before finally receiving the keys to her house at yesterday’s ceremony.
“We are very fortunate and are grateful to His Majesty for providing us with a place where our children can stay and grow up comfortably,” she said, adding that “the surrounding environment is very quiet and peaceful, which will benefit the children vastly”.
However, she raised concerns over the surrounding roads, which she said could be a potential hazard for her children.
“We do hope the relevant authorities will construct speed humps to slow down vehicles. This will increase the safety of the children playing in the house yard,” she said.
Siti Faizatul Nadzirah binti Haji Johari, a new house recipient at RPN Bukit Beruang, shared the same sentiment.
“Perhaps some speed humps in key locations such as the main junction, can help slow down vehicles and prevent people from driving too fast,” she noted.
Siti Faizatul Nadzirah signed up for the National Housing Scheme back in 2012 and the family waited five years to get the house located at RPN Bukit Beruang.
“We are very happy to be able to move to our new home, which makes us feel more independent”, she noted.
One of the recipients of a terrace house at RPN Lumut, Wong Siew Khiun, together with her husband and two daughters, celebrated the momentous occasion.
“We applied back in 2009. We had been chosen to receive a terrace house at RPN Lumut in 2014. The ceremony represents a big step for us as a family.”
Having two daughters, one working and the other studying overseas, she sees the new terrace house as an opportunity for her family to be more independent.
“I believe receiving the keys to the terrace house close on the heels of celebrating the Chinese New Year will herald a prosperous 2018,” she said.
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