Uggah calls on Christians in S’wak to continue support Premier’s leadership

KUCHING (Dec 25): Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas called on Christians in Sarawak to continue giving their full support to the leadership of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg to ensure the state’s continued peace, unity and prosperity.

In his Christmas and New Year message, Uggah said the premier’s inclusive leadership had united Sarawakians of all races and religions and created a harmonious society while steering the state towards sustainable growth and development.

He also pointed out that Sarawak’s achievements in recent years—including its recognition as a high-income region since 2022—were made possible by the premier’s strong, visionary and capable leadership.

“The Premier is the leader of all races—uniting everyone to create a racial and religious harmony, and a united Sarawak.

“So, I call upon all Christians in Sarawak to continue to give full support to his leadership to ensure Sarawak will continue to prosper, and remain peaceful and harmonious in line with the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030,” he said in the message posted on his official Facebook page.

Uggah also described the State Budget 2026 as a comprehensive and people-centric budget that reflected the government’s commitment to empowering every Sarawakian and ensuring no one is left behind.

Under the budget, RM9.3 billion had been allocated for development initiatives, with RM6.1 billion channelled to rural development, demonstrating the state government’s continued focus on uplifting rural communities.

He expressed appreciation for the RM120 million allocation for the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) in 2026.

“This clearly shows the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government’s continued support for all religious institutions,” he said.

Uggah also welcomed the implementation of free tertiary education for Sarawakians pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses at Sarawak-owned institutions.

On human capital development, he said RM665 million had been allocated for education programmes in 2026 to ensure the future workforce remains resilient and competitive.

Addressing cost of living pressures, Uggah said RM640 million had been set aside for the Sumbangan Keperluan Asas Sarawak (SKAS), with increased assistance rates for families, the elderly and single individuals.

Uggah wished Christians a blessed and joyful Christmas and called on all Sarawakians to move forward together into 2026 with renewed hope, unity and purpose, towards building a brighter Sarawak for all.

“Like all other festivities we have in Sarawak, this is a time for us to embrace unity through our visitation, sharing kindness with each other in our diverse social fabric of Sarawak,” he said.