Belingos community renovates elderly’s house

 

 

Faiq Airudin

TEMBURONG

THE Village Consultative Council (MPK) of Kampung Belingos, Temburong spent yesterday morning renovating the house of a widow in her 70s.

Hjh Salamah Lajim, 73, has been a resident of the village for over 40 years.

According to Head of Kg Belingos and Legislative Council member Yang Berhormat Hj Su- laiman Hj Ahad, the elderly lives alone and as she is surviving on a monthly pension of $250, she was qualified to receive the assistance.

Work on the stilt house started at 8.30am and the council were as- sisted by personnel from the Royal

Brunei Armed Forces based at Bangar Camp.

The uniformed personnel did most of the hard labour such as re- moving broken and worn out parts of the house before replacing them with new wooden planks.

They also took care to hammer and saw the planks to fit the house’s structure.

The stairs were completely re- placed and the flooring bolstered. The tools and wooden planks were supplied by a private company.

YB Hj Sulaiman said that the go- tong-royong (voluntary com- munity activity) was the first activity the council has organised this year.

The council has already renov- ated three houses in the village, of

The house of Hjh Salamah Lajim, 73, being renovated by Royal Brunei Armed Forces’ personnel in a ‘gotong-royong’ activity organised by Belingos Village Consultative Council yesterday. Picture: BT/Faiq Airudin

residents who are in a similar eco- nomic position as Hjh Salamah.

Hj Sulaiman said that another house in the village will also be renovated later in the year.

Previously, the council organ- ised the renovation of a house but it was still deemed unfit to live in. The issue was raised to the Tem- burong District Office who have subsequently forwarded the issue to relevant authorities.

“Alhamdulillah, they will be able to demolish the house and build a new one in its place,” YB Hj Su- laiman said.

Looking ahead, he said that the council planned to hold cleaning campaigns around the village; host meetings with other village heads; organise religious gatherings during the fasting month; and hold a korban ceremony during Aidil Adha.

He also shared updates on the village’s ‘One Village, One Product’ initiative.

According to Hj Sulaiman, the council are currently cultivating oyster mushrooms.

The mushrooms were first sourced from neighbouring Sabah,

Malaysia however they now come from Kilanas.

The mushrooms are purchased at 50 cents per bundle which are then transferred to Temburong where it will be cultivated. Once fully grown, the mushrooms will be harvested and sold to the public, said YB Hj Sulaiman.

Also present at the activity was Acting Temburong District Officer Hj Abdul Hamid Dato Paduka Hj Abdullah, officers from the district office, and residents of nearby villages.

The Brunei Times