Muslim Converts Get New Homes in Brunei Darussalam

Teburong, Brunei Darussalam, 03 Rajab 1437/10 April 2016 (MINA) – Three new houses for underprivileged Muslim converts were officially handed over yesterday by the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA).

The bungalows, with a total value of $233,904, also include a house built for a convert family in Kampung Lumut in Belait. Each was built on around 0.2 hectare of land belonging to the converts.

Construction of the houses began in April last year and was completed in six months.

Present to hand over the keys was Religious Affairs Minister Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Hj Awg Badaruddin Pengarah Dato Paduka Hj Awang Othman.

He told The Brunei Times on the sidelines of the ceremony that providing houses for converts is one of the Islamic Da’wah Centre’s projects in taking care of the welfare of converts in the sultanate.

“The strategy is similar to providing assistance to poor and destitute families. They will be given two choices – staying at a rental house that costs around $350-$500 monthly or we build a house on their land,” he said.

YB Pehin Dato Ustaz Hj Awang Badaruddin noted that with the better housing, the converts can perform ibadah (acts of worship) comfortably and it can improve their standard of living.

Over the past 22 years, the ministry has provided new houses to 82 convert families nationwide. Of this, five were built in Brunei-Muara, 18 in Belait, 29 in Tutong and 30 in Temburong.

He said there has been a rising amount of assistance in Tutong and Temburong because both districts have a large population of converts.

“Although the population in Temburong or Tutong isn’t as high as in Brunei-Muara, many of the converts live in the two districts. Many of them are among the indigenous people who live in the remote areas,” he said.

YB Pehin Dato Ustaz Hj Awang Badaruddin hoped the recipients would take good care of their houses and make use of them as a place to improve their ibadah among their families and relatives.

One of the recipients who lives in Kg Temada, Nursabariah Abdullah, said before they moved to their new home, her husband and two sons were living in their 30-year-old decrepit house.

“The house has no proper electricity and its structure and foundation aren’t strong,” said Nursabariah, who earns less than $100 monthly from selling vegetables.

Nursabariah said she was grateful to His Majesty and his government for building the house for her family.

The other recipients were Masnah Abdullah Bana from Kg Sibut and Norhayati Abdullah @ Pok Anak Kanang from Kampung Amo ‘A’.

Each house has three bedrooms, two toilets, a living room and a kitchen. They were fully funded by the Brunei Islamic Religious Council.

Also attending the ceremony was the ministry’s Deputy Permanent Secretary, Hj Harun Hj Junid, directors, heads of department units, officers from the ministry, grassroots leaders and villagers. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic New Agency (MINA)