Izah Azahari & Aziz Idris
HIS Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, yesterday visited the Sultan Saiful Rijal Technical College (MTSSR) Phase 1 project which is designed for the college’s Aircraft Department.
The visit was among a number of working visits in the Brunei-Muara District by Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman, Minister of Development.
Present to receive His Royal Highness at the site was Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, Minister of Education, and Dato Paduka Dr Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi, Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education.
At the site, His Royal Highness heard a briefing by Dayang Hajah Norhayati binti Haji Yakub, Acting Director of Development at the Department of Public Works; and Dr Haji Mohd Zamri bin Haji Sabli, Acting Assistant Director of Technical Education Department at the Ministry of Education.
The briefing was then followed by His Royal Highness touring around the project area to take a closer look of the development.
The tour ended with the signing of a ‘Lembaran Kenangan’ parchment and a group photo.
The MTSSR (Phase 1) includes an Admin Block, Aircraft Hangar, Engine Laboratories, lecture theatres, avionic labs and a library.
The project, due for completion soon, is estimated to cost a total of B$19 million and had begun on February 7, 2012.
His Royal Highness concluded his working visit yesterday at the Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB) Phase 3 construction project, located on the left wing.
Associate Professor Dr Hajah Zohrah binti Haji Sulaiman, Acting Vice Chancellor of ITB, said the $28 million project covers an area of 28,600 square metres with five new facilities building. These include the administration building, an academic building, a multipurpose hall, dining hall and student centre as well as a library, lecture theatre and a surau.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince toured the academic building house blocks for Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Petro-Chemical Engineering, and computer laboratories.
The new additions to the campus are aimed at increasing the enrolment rate and student population.
Currently, MTSSR has just over 1,400 students, and has produced more than 3,000 Higher National Diploma graduates and more than 120 Civil Engineering degree students under a twinning programme with Queens University Belfast, the United Kingdom.
The Department of Planning and Estate Management (JPPE) under the Ministry of Education was given the responsibility to oversee the projects development, while Arkitek OPFIS was hired as the consultants.
- Borneo Bulletin
(27 May 2014)