His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam made 128 of his subjects' wishes to own a house come true by consenting to award them with key plaques to their new houses under the Landless Indigenous Citizens Housing Scheme (STKRJ) as well as land lots under the National Housing Scheme (RPN).

The 128 recipients, of whom 104 were awarded with "Type D" terrace houses under the STKRJ Kg Tanah Jambu, another 17 with land lots in Kg Katok 'B' and a further seven recipients awarded with land lots in Kg Rimba Gadong, officially received the keys to their new homes and land lots at a ceremony held at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Pengiran Anak Puteri Hajah Masna Secondary School in Kg Lambak Kanan yesterday morning.

His Majesty was greeted upon arrival by the Minister of Development, Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman and the Brunei-Muara District Officer, Awang Haji Jamain bin Momin.

Before the recipients went on stage for the awarding ceremony from His Majesty, the Brunei Muara-District Officer in his welcoming speech said the gift from His Majesty reflects the monarch's genuine concern for the welfare of his subjects. "This enables them to live a much more comfortable life and improve their living standards," he added.

After presenting all recipients with their key plaques and land lots, the monarch toured Pengiran Anak Puteri Hajah Masna Secondary School, accompanied by the all-girls school Principal, Dyg Hashimawati bte Hj Mohammad.

His Majesty took a closer look at the school's facilities and activities, while interacting with students, teachers and staff from the school.

His Majesty later toured two more schools in Mukim Berakas 'A', the Berakas Secondary School and Pengiran Anak Puteri Muta-Wakkilah Hayatul Bolkiah Religious School situated close to each other.

During the visit to the schools, His Majesty was seen engaged in conversations with the students, asking them on their progress in their education. The monarch was also impressed with creative projects and showcases displayed by students from the schools and was also introduced to the many activities offered in the schools apart from conventional classroom sessions.

After concluding his tour to the three schools, the monarch met with the Village Head of Kg Sungai Tilong, Mukim Berakas 'B', Pengiran Haji Zainal bin Pengiran Haji Bustamam at his residence where the monarch received updates on the village's development and progress. Kg Sungai Tilong is currently home to some 2,767 residents.

His Majesty later visited the houses of recipients of the terrace houses under the STKRJ in Kg Tanah Jambu. On the monarch's schedule of house visits were the residences of Pengiran Mohamed Hassan bin Pengiran Haji Yaakub, Dayang Salamah binti Haji Abdul Rahman and Awang Rafian bin Abu Bakar.

His Majesty made it a day to remember for some of the new housing recipients by visiting about 15 other houses outside the royal schedule. The monarch spoke to the residents and checked to ensure if they were happy with their new homes.

The last stop of His Majesty's itinerary of visits for the day was at Hasmit Shield Roofing Manufacture Sdn Bhd at West Lambak Kanan Industrial Site. His Majesty was greeted upon arrival by the Managing Director of the company, Mr K C Lau who accompanied His Majesty on a tour of the local manufacturer of colour metal roofing tiles and roofing sheets. The company was incorporated in Brunei in 1999 and has since grown into a market leader in manufacturing building materials to cater for the demand in the market.

The company has been engaged in several projects with the government, particularly the National Housing Scheme (RPN) projects, including the STKRJ Kg Tanah Jambu. - Borneo Bulletin (28 June 2012)