Kampong Pandan, Brunei

Kampong Pandan (may also be spelt as Kampung Pandan), is a suburb of Kuala Belait, the primary town of Belait District in Brunei. Kampong Pandan comprises three kampongs, namely Kampong Pandan 'A', Kampong Pandan 'B' and Kampong Pandan 'C'.

Kampong Pandan Kampong Pandan
Suburb of Kuala Belait
Subdivision	Kampong (village): Kampong Pandan 'A' Kampong Pandan 'B' Kampong Pandan 'C'

Etymology

Kampong Pandan is literally translated as 'Pandan Village'. It is probably named after pandan or screwpine (pandanus amaryllifolius), a tropical plant which is known for its aromatic leaves.

Geography

Kampong Pandan borders Kuala Belait proper to the west, Panaga to the east, Mumong to the south and South China Sea to the north.

For census and other administrative purposes, Kampong Pandan is divided into three kampongs or villages, namely Kampong Pandan 'A', Kampong Pandan 'B'; and Kampong Pandan 'C', and each kampong has a ketua kampong or village headman. A kampong is the third and lowest administrative division in the country which are below the mukims, and the three kampongs in Kampong Pandan are under Mukim Kuala Belait.

Infrastructure

Housing

Apart from private housing, many of Kampong Pandan residents live in houses provided by the Brunei government under the Rancangan Perumahan Negara (National Housing Plan) scheme.[1]

Education

There are four government schools in Kampong Pandan. Pengiran Setia Jaya Pengiran Abdul Momin Primary School and Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Primary School offers primary education, where as secondary education is offered at Pengiran Jaya Negara Pengiran Haji Abu Bakar Secondary School and Sayyidina Ali Secondary School.[2]

Until the completion of its stand-alone campus, sixth form education is temporarily housed in Sayyidina Ali Secondary School.

Similarly, Pengiran Jaya Negara Pengiran Haji Abu Bakar Secondary School houses the students of the planned science college in the district. They are the students that reside in Belait and Tutong Districts which have passed the Year 6 Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (Primary School Assessment) and achieved grade 'A's in all of its five subjects.

Basic religious education is also available for the Muslim pupils that live in Kampong Pandan. At present, religious education are offered at Pengiran Setia Jaya Pengiran Abdul Momin Primary School, Pengiran Jaya Negara Pengiran Haji Abu Bakar Secondary School and Sayyidina Ali Secondary School in the afternoon session.[3]

One of the two post-secondary vocational schools in Kuala Belait, Kemuda Institute, is also located in Kampong Pandan.

Miscellaneous

Kampong Pandan Mosque is the sole mosque of Kampong Pandan and mainly serves to fulfill the need of its Muslim residents for congregational prayers, particularly Friday prayers. The mosque was opened in 1996 and can hold up to 1,100 people in single congregation.[4]

There is a public library, Kampong Pandan Library, and it is located in the vicinity of Kampong Pandan Mosque.[5] The library is run by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Brunei (Brunei Language and Literature Bureau) and has reading materials and other media for both children and adults.[6]

References

1. "Belait District" (PDF). Information Department, Prime Minister's Office | Brunei Darussalam.
2. "Old charm remains as SR PSB SOAS moves to new building – Borneo Bulletin Online". Borneo Bulletin Online. 2017-03-16. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
3. "Laman Utama - Senarai Sekolah Ugama". www.kheu.gov.bn. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
4. "SenaraiMasjid - Masjid RPN Kampong Pandan". www.kheu.gov.bn. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
5. "Old charm remains as SR PSB SOAS moves to new building – Borneo Bulletin Online". Borneo Bulletin Online. 2017-03-16. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
6. "PERPUSTAKAAN BRUNEI DARUSSALAM". www.librarybrunei.gov.bn (in Malay). Retrieved 2017-08-29.