Uggah: Advisory council for Unifor in the works

KUCHING (Dec 4): Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah says he is in the process of forming an advisory council for the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor).

Pointing out that its formation is long overdue, he said the advisory council is to advise the Sarawak government on non-Muslim religious matters of interest or concern.

“It will be a forum where issues, including controversial ones, can be discussed amicably.

“We need to guide each other along the way. We are living in a very challenging world of technological advancement including Generative Artificial Intelligence,” he said in his speech when officiating the official opening of the House of the Epiphany’s new building at Jalan MacDougall, here today.

Uggah, who is also Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development, said a meeting on this proposed council will be held this Thursday.

He added that the council, being consultative in nature, will comprise senior leaders of various religions who will be tasked to come up with guidelines to address issues judiciously.

“We need to preserve the existing racial and religious harmony, unity and understanding which have always been our beacon in a multi-racial and multi-religious Sarawak,” he stressed.

On another matter, Uggah dismissed claims that Unifor has been unfair in approving grant applications.

“There is no issue of Unifor not been fair. Before it approves any application, its officers will go to the ground to inspect the project site. The officers will do their studies based on plans and cost estimate made.

“On this matter, may I remind some recipients of the grants who had yet to use them to do so as soon as possible. It is Unifor’s policy not to consider any new application until the allocated grant is spent,” he said.

He revealed that to date, Sarawak has registered a total of 2,453 non-Muslim houses of worship, with a total of 1,694,142 members throughout the state.

According to him, the Sarawak government had since 2017 approved and allocated a total of RM333,118,000 to the various houses of worship in the state.

Out of the total allocation, 24.5 per cent or RM81,558,000 was allocated to the Roman Catholic Church, supporting 643,503 members and 509 houses of worship.

“Next is the Anglican Church at 21.2 per cent or RM70,519,000, supporting a total of 300 houses of worship.

“Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM) Church received a total of RM59,700,000 or 17.9 per cent, supporting a total of 635 houses of worship, while Buddhist temples received a total of RM37,060,000 or 11.1 per cent, supporting a total of 152 houses of worship.”

Uggah said the Methodist Church had received RM27,977,000; and Seventh Day Adventist Church, RM12,026,000.

Other houses of worship including Confucianism, Taoism and Traditional Religion had received a total of RM10,198,000; Sikh temples (RM9,860,000); Hindu temples (RM4,260,000); and many more, he added.

Meanwhile, the deputy premier also said that Unifor is in the midst of building its own complex to be under its charitable trust.

The Unifor Charitable Trust, formed under the Charitable Trust Ordinance, is to manage Unifor assets, he explained.

This complex, to be built with RM80-million grant from the state government, occupies prime commercial location at Kuching Central Land District at Jalan Ong Tiang Swee.

It is a nine-storey office cum commercial complex, comprising commercial units, office space, one main hall with a capacity for 150 tables, meeting rooms and roof top garden.

As at November this year, its construction progress was at 70.66 per cent, ahead of its schedule of 70 per cent or by 0.66 per cent, he said.

Unifor was established on April 27, 2017 as a new unit in the then Chief Minister’s Department under the portfolio of then Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister, Uggah.

The establishment of Unifor as a state government agency is the brainchild of former Sarawak Chief Minister the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem, responsible for regulating policies to promote inter-religious harmony while evaluating, proposing and formulating policies, laws and regulations related to other religions in Sarawak.