Govt allocates 5.8-acre land along Miri By-Pass road for Christian Ecumenical Centre
MIRI: The government has approved a 5.8- acre piece of land along Miri By- Pass road last month for the Association of Churches in Sarawak to build the Christian Ecumenical Centre.
This was disclosed by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg in his address at the launching of Miri City Christmas Parade 2017 at Miri City Fan on Saturday night.
Among those attending the parade were Uggah’s wife Datin Amar Doreen Mayang; Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin; Miri mayor Adam Yii ; Miri MP Dr Michael Teo; Baram MP Anyi Ngau; Pujut assemblyman Dr Ting Tiong Choon; Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau; Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting; Mulu assemblyman Datuk Gerawat Gala; Anglican Bishop of Kuching and Brunei, Right Revd Danald Jute; and the parade’s organising chairman Right Revd Solomon Cheong Sung Voon, who is also the assistant bishop of the Diocese of Kuching and Brunei.
The Chief Minister’s address was read by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas who represented him at the ceremony.
“I am sure that with the approval of the land, the Christian Ecumenical Centre project will be realised, and more than 120,000 Christians from various denominations in Miri will have a comfortable venue to carry out their courses, seminars and activities,” he said.
According to the Chief Minister, the government does not only help religious institutions by giving them funds to build their houses of worship, but also considers their applications for land for cemetery and various other facilities.
He said a total of 77 applications for financial assistance from various religious institutions throughout Sarawak, totalling RM15 million, had been approved by the government.
“F r om t he numb e r, 1 2 applications totalling RM3.02 mil l ion were from several Christian denominations as well as the Sikhs in Miri,” he disclosed. He further said Sarawak is a place where religion has never been an issue among the people of various beliefs and racial backgrounds.
“This is not so in other places, especial ly across the South China Sea. We Sarawakians, be they Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindu or others, have always strived to strengthen the friendship and brotherhood among ourselves because we know that unity and social cohesiveness is the pi l lar of our economic progress and development,” he said. He added that no one will stand to gain if there is chaos in society.
“Sarawaki ans may have differences in opinion and ways of looking at things, which is only natural, but these do not stop them from making serious efforts to nurture and strengthen unity among them.
“I don’t expect everyone to agree with me all the time, but we always try to fi nd the middle path and common ground for the benefit of all Sarawakians,” he said.
Elaborating, Abang Johari said Sarawakians take pride in the fact that other people have recognised them as a people who are united and always working to make bridges, and not walls, between them.
At the end of the speech, Uggah announced an allocation of RM50,000 from himself for the Miri City Parade Committee.
Also contributing to the committee for the parade were Lee ( RM20,000), Gerawat ( RM20,000), Ting ( RM10,000), Dennis ( RM10,000) and Anyi ( RM10,000), making the total allocation received by the committee for the evening RM120,000.
Meanwhile, Yii, who spoke earlier, said the increased number of participants in this year’s parade proved that Christians in this city recognised the importance of the event.
“It is not just a parade, but a union of all the denominations of churches in Miri,” he said.
This year’s parade saw about 45,000 people from 20 churches in Miri braved pouring rain and strong winds to march around the city while singing Christmas carols.
The parade which entered its tenth year this year was led by the Boys Brigade brass band from the Methodist Church.
The first Miri Christmas Parade started with 5,000 participants from seven churches in 2008 and was hosted by the Methodist Church.