BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

TWO new mosques slated for completion in March 2017 will be built in compliance with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC) Building Guidelines 2015 for Non-Residential Buildings.

The proposed mosques in Rimba National Housing Scheme and Lumut National Housing Scheme will cost around $25 million, and will be the first mosques in Brunei to comply with the new EEC Building Guidelines.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) on behalf of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s government signed an agreement with contractors to build the two new mosques.

Head of Building and Maintenance Section, Pg Alli Pg Hj Mohammad, told The Brunei Times during the signing that the ministry had been adapting green practices in the construction of their new mosques prior to the launching of the EEC Building Guidelines by the Development Minister earlier this month.

The EEC Guidelines take into account the methods and concepts in terms of green design, construction, operation and maintenance of new and existing buildings as well as energy saving and water conservation.

The Guidelines also outline various aspects such as best practices and proper installation techniques in addition to cost-effective and sustainable usage.

The EEC Building Guidelines 2015 for Non-Residential Buildings will complement MoRA’s ‘Guidelines on Mosque Construction’ which was amended in 2014. The latter refers to the non technical aspects of mosque construction such as its architectural designs.

Pg Alli said the mosques at the Kg Mengkubau National Housing Scheme, Kg Meragang National Housing Scheme and Kg Tanah Jambu National Housing Scheme were among those that had adapted green practices.

Some of the ‘green’ actions that they have taken were switching to LED lights as well as using solar power.

To conserve water used for wudhu (ablution), they are looking into switching to water-efficient taps as well as using stored rainwater. The used rainwater can also be used to water plants.

Minister of Religious Affairs, Yang Berhormat Pg Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Mohammad Pg Hj Abd Rahman witnessed the signing.

On behalf of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the agreement contracts was signed by Deputy Permanent Secretary (Policies and Religion), Hj Harun Hj Junid; Acting Director of Mosque Affairs Department, Hj Abd Rajid Hj Mohammad and Pg Alli Pg Hj Mohammad, Head of Building and Maintenance Section.

The Lumut National Housing Mosque project was awarded to Seri Sezaman Architect (architect), KR Kamarulzaman & Associates (civil and structure), Jurutera OMC (mechanical and electrical) and HZ & Associates (quantity surveyors).

The project for Kg Rimba National Housing Scheme Mosque was awarded to Abdullah Ahmad Architects (architect), Jumin Marsal Perunding (civil and structure), Hamzah Hassan Consultant (mechanical and electrical) and Hanafi Konsaltan (quantity surveyors).

The consultants’ scope of work will be to oversee the mosques construction from start to finish and to provide mosque building designs that are able to elevate the role of a mosque, and to be prominent and resilient in enhancing the eminence of Islam.

The Brunei Times