KUCHING: Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg announced that Sarawak’s Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) will receive an increased allocation of RM110mil in 2024, up from RM100mil in the current year.
During a Unifor appreciation dinner in Kuching, the Premier stated, “Since the state’s revenue has increased, I will add another RM10mil for Unifor to carry out its activities.”
Abang Johari emphasized that the state government’s approach to economic and social development prioritizes fairness to all Sarawakians, regardless of race or religion.
He added, “Everyone is a stakeholder in our efforts to provide a fair income and living conditions for our people.”
The Premier also stressed the importance of maintaining harmonious relationships among Sarawakians based on mutual respect, stating, “We don’t touch on the sensitivities of religion but move forward together peacefully.”
Abang Johari also shared that Universiti Malaya has expressed interest in establishing an off-campus law faculty in Sarawak, with subjects including native customary rights and the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah revealed that Sarawak had registered 2,453 non-Muslim houses of worship with a total of 1.8 million members statewide.
Uggah also stated that since 2017, the state government had approved total allocations of RM313.2mil to the various houses of worship. Additionally, Unifor had received 515 new applications amounting to RM341.8mil.
However, he mentioned that 91 organizations have yet to begin their projects, and the state’s policy is not to consider new applications from these organizations until they have utilized their earlier allocations.
