Henry: RM120 mln Unifor allocation to benefit houses of worship, mission schools across Sarawak

KUCHING (Dec 8): The increased allocation for the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) to RM120 million next year will significantly benefit houses of worship and mission schools across Sarawak, said Deputy Minister for Transport Datuk Henry Harry Jinep.

Henry, who is Tasik Biru assemblyman, said the RM10 million increase reflects the Sarawak government’s strong and consistent commitment under Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) to strengthen religious harmony and support infrastructure needs among non-Islamic faith communities.

“The rise in Unifor allocation to RM120 million is truly encouraging. It mirrors Sarawak’s increasing revenue and the Premier’s commitment to distributing prosperity fairly to all people regardless of religious background,” he said in a statement.

Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, during the Unifor Appreciation Ceremony on Sunday night, announced that the state government will top up another RM10 million grant for Unifor next year, bringing the total allocation to RM120 million.

Henry stressed that the additional funding would have a meaningful impact, especially for religious institutions in his Tasik Biru constituency.

“In Tasik Biru alone, many churches, temples and other religious establishments require assistance for upgrading, structural repairs or the construction of new facilities.

“With this increased allocation, we can look forward to seeing more applications from Tasik Biru approved, ensuring our houses of worship continue to serve the community comfortably and effectively,” he added.

Henry also welcomed Unifor’s digitalisation initiative through the upgraded Other Religions Service Management System (Orsem).

“The enhanced Orsem system is a proactive step forward. It offers a complete digital platform from registration and funding applications to progress reporting. This ensures that fund management becomes more transparent, efficient and accountable, while simplifying the process for recipients,” he said.

Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also the minister in charge of Unifor, announced during the Unifor Appreciation Ceremony on Sunday night that Orsem was launched to make it easier for the people to obtain services related to houses of worship throughout Sarawak.

Uggah explained Orsem was specially designed to streamline the delivery of Unifor’s services, increasing efficiency, integrity and accessibility in the management of houses of worship for multi-religious communities.