RM10 million for non-Islamic places of worship in Sabah
INANAM: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Panglima Abdul Rahman Dahlan, yesterday announced an allocation of RM10 million from the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) for non-Islamic places of worship in Sabah.
Abdul Rahman, who is the minister in charge of EPU, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had approved the allocation.
He said Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman had also been informed of the EPU assistance and was in the process of compiling the additional needs of churches in Sabah.
“I have discussed with the Chief Minister and also asked him to give more focus on Sepanggar,” he said to the media after meeting with church leaders in Sepanggar here yesterday.
Leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist, Borneo Evangelical Church (SIB) and Basel Christian Church of Malaysia (BCCM) in Sepanggar have voiced out the need for funding and repair of their places of worship at the meeting.
Abdul Rahman said the meeting with church leaders of the various denominations in Sepanggar was part of the effort to understand their challenges in carrying out their responsibilities for the local communities. He encouraged the non-governmental organization (NGO) units under the churches to do community service in Muslim communities and vice versa.
“We can be role model to the country and even the world that the Christians and Muslims in Sepanggar could live together,” Abdul Rahman said.
He noted that there were many examples of racial harmony in Sabah, such as churches allowing Muslims of nearby mosques to park in their compound as they go for Friday prayer and vice versa.
“This is our uniqueness that we should defend. We cannot allow any individual to challenge our uniqueness, racial and religious relations in Sabah,” he stressed.
As an Umno leader from Sabah, Abdul Rahman emphasized the party’s commitment to look after and safeguard the interests of the Christian community.
He said Muslims were taught in their religion to practise moderation to the people, including Christians, and said that the contribution of Christians to the economy, political stability and development of the country must not be undermined.
“I, as a political leader and minister, vow to ensure that the interests of the Christian community will be safeguarded,” he said.
Abdul Rahman also urged the Christian community to appreciate the contributions by Najib and Musa, as they have practised an open policy and fair approach to the non-Muslims.
“Najib is the best Prime Minister for the non-Muslims ever in this country. The allocation he has given to Christians and the Chinese community was far more than the amount given by past prime ministers combined,” he highlighted.
He also lauded Musa as a fair man, who has provided a lot of support to the non-Muslim communities.
Abdul Rahman also pledged to appoint a special officer selected from among the church leaders at his service centre in Sepanggar like what was done in his constituency in Kota Belud to listen to the views, suggestions and criticisms from the Christian community in Sepanggar.