BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Some 954 individuals received land lots and house key plaques from Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah in a ceremony held at the International Convention Centre, a local news report said Tuesday.
The recipients comprising 222 individuals received land lots under the National Housing Scheme as well as the Landless Indigenous Citizens Housing Scheme, while 732 got new cluster and terrace houses under the two schemes.
While expressing gratitude to the Sultan on behalf of all the recipients, Haji Suhaimi, acting Brunei-Muara District officer in his welcoming speech said that the event on Monday was "a form of gift by His Majesty to the people to ensure comfort and security and enhance their living standards".
He added that this demonstrated the Sultan's and the government of the Sultan's "continuous endeavour towards the welfare of the subjects by providing basic facilities and shelter for residents".
With about 400,000 total population, Brunei is well-known for its generous welfare social system based on wealth accumulated from its oil and gas exports.
Following the ceremony, the monarch visited some residences of housing scheme recipients in Brunei-Muara District to learn more about the newly built houses by speaking to the new housing scheme recipients.
