Bandar Seri Begawan - A thanksgiving prayer was yesterday held at the Rancangan Perumahan Negara Lambak Kanan Mosque as one of the religious activities organsied by the Housing Development Department of the Ministry of Development, in commemorating the 60th anniversary of the National Housing Scheme.

Among the present were Minister of Development cum guest of honour Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Suyoi bin Hj Osman, Permanent Secretary (Technical and Professional) Dato Paduka Hj Suhaimi bin Hj Gafar, Permanent Secretary (Administration and Finance) Hj Muhammad Lutfi bin Abdullah, Deputy Permanent Secretary Awg Eddie bin Dato Paduka Hj Sunny, as well as officers from the Ministry of Development and the departments under it.

The event opened a mass Maghrib prayer, followed by mass Sunnat Hajat prayer, recitation of Surah Yaasiin, tahlil and doa kesyukuran, before ending with an Isyak prayer led by Imam Mohd Hanafi bin Hj Zaini.

The national housing scheme was first introduced in 1952 by Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien, carrying the name 'Perpindahan (moving) Scheme.'

The beginning of the shift from the 1950s to the 1960s was to move people from Kampong Ayer inland, allowing/providing the people of Brunei the opportunity to own land and carry out farming. In 1980, the scheme continued as the National Housing Scheme with Tanah Kurnia Rakyat Jati Scheme eligible citizens.