Unifor sets aside RM90 mln for houses of worship, RM20 mln for mission schools this year

KUCHING (May 15): A sum of RM90 million has been allocated by the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) for the construction, repair and upgrading of houses of worship this year, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.

This sum came from the RM110 million-allocation by the Sarawak government to Unifor for the year 2024, said Uggah, who is the minister in charge of Unifor.

“As of May 2024, an approved Phase 1 allocation involved an amount of RM14.34 million for 32 projects.

“For the approved Phase 2, a sum of RM40.87 million was allocated for 91 projects, whereby this assistance will be disbursed soon,” he said in his winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here today.

Uggah said the remaining allocation of RM20 million for mission schools, meanwhile, are now in the final compilation for the submission to the Unifor Mission School Executive Committee (UMSEC) prior to funds disbursement.

The increase of allocation to Unifor – from RM100 million in 2023 to RM110 million this year, he said, showed the state government’s commitment to strengthen its inclusivity policy.

On the RM100 million allocation for Unifor last year, he said the funds totalling RM80 million had been fully utilised for the construction and repairing works of 477 houses of worship, with another RM20 million for 127 mission schools statewide.

Meanwhile, on the construction works for the Unifor new office building at Jalan Ong Tiang Swee here, he said the project that commenced on July 13, 2022 is expected to be completed by this July.

“As of April 2024, the progress is nearing completion at 96.38 per cent,” he disclosed.