Imagine living in a place designed to foster community. That place is Perumahan Negara Mentiri. Perumahan Negara Mentiri is a public housing area in Brunei-Muara District. It is part of the government’s National Housing Scheme. This scheme is known as Rancangan Perumahan Negara or RPN.
Perumahan Negara Mentiri is near Kampung Mentiri. Kampung Mentiri is a traditional village. It is also the source of the housing area’s name.
The area is divided into two sections. These sections are known as Perumahan Negara Mentiri Area ‘A’ and Area ‘B’. They function as villages with a village head. The village head is called ketua kampung. They also have a community association or Majlis Perundingan Kampung. Pengiran Aliuddin bin Pengiran Damit leads Area ‘A’. Pengiran Ibrahim bin Pengiran Hidup leads Area ‘B’.
Several educational institutions are located here. Sekolah Rendah Dato Mohd Yassin provides primary education. This school shares a building with Sekolah Ugama Dato Mohd Yassin. Sekolah Ugama provides Islamic religious education. This education is compulsory for Muslim students in Brunei. Sekolah Menengah Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja offers secondary education.
Masjid Hassanal Bolkiah is a prominent mosque here. It replaced the old Masjid Rancangan Perumahan Negara Kampung Mentiri. The old mosque was destroyed in a fire. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah inaugurated the new mosque in 2017. It can accommodate up to 3,000 worshipers.
The Kampung Mentiri Community Centre is also in Perumahan Negara Mentiri. It provides a venue for social events. It also serves as a community gathering place. Before the new mosque opened it served as a temporary place of worship.
Perumahan Negara Mentiri continues to be a vital part of Brunei. It provides housing. It also offers community facilities for its residents. It exemplifies Brunei’s commitment to public welfare. This is achieved through thoughtful planning. It also provides community-focused development.