Inclusive prosperity key to establishing nation’s wealth, says Dr Sim

KUCHING (Aug 11): The wealth status of a nation depends on its ‘inclusive prosperity’, which is derived from the ethnic and cultural diversity of its people, says Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.

According to him, wealth is not merely a form of power, as it is also a value rooted in the local culture.

“We aim to be inclusive and uniform. This is part of the innovation that the Sarawak government seeks to achieve,” he said in his speech for the 15th Annual Sri Jagannath Ratha Yatra (Festival of India) at the Hare Krishna Multipurpose Hall here Saturday.

Dr Sim, also Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government, also spoke about places of worship being used as platforms to inform and educate the believers about various issues, as well as for them to discuss ways to address them through holistic approaches and actions.

He also commended the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Kuching, led by chairman Kripa Sindhu Krishna Das @ Prabhu, for the successful hosting of the festival.

Meanwhile in her remarks, Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) director Dato Georgina Apphia Ngau assured the committees of non-Muslim places of worship in the state that her office would always be open for them to engage in two-way interactions.

“We at Unifor encourage intervention programmes, dialogues and other activities meant to foster respect and understanding among those representing the diverse religious groups in Sarawak.”

Georgina also called upon the management bodies of ISKCON Kuching and other temples to submit their grant applications to Unifor.

“Our core mission is also to provide grants to help out and facilitate the managements in their running of religious activities,” she added.

According to her, since 2017, Unifor has so far disbursed RM1,760,000 to fund small-scale projects for the Hindu community.