S’wakians of all religions assured of govt assistance
MIRI: The Sarawak government through Unit for Other Religions ( Unifor) has given its assurance to look after the need of and assist in the development of non-Islamic religions.
Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin said Unifor was established in April 2017 under the Chief Minister’s Department to act as a focal point for the various religious bodies to liaise and interact with the Sarawak and federal governments.
“Sarawakians regardless of their race and religion have been able to live together peacefully.
“This is something we should enhance and promote in this multi-racial and multi-religious state,” he said when declaring open Borneo Evangelical Mission ( BEM) Iban Boulevard’s charity sale at the Boulevard parking lot recently.
Proceeds from the sale would be channelled to the ( BEM) church building fund.
Lee assured the church committee that the Sarawak government would assist in building their church.
Lee later gave a RM5,000-grant to the church committee.
Meanwhile, chairman of BEM Iban Boulevard church building project, Ramsay Saging, said the church was set up in 1982 by a handful of followers, and has been operating at a shop lot in Boulevard shopping centre.
He thanked the Sarawak government for approving a 2.6- acre land at Miri Bypass for building their church on May 17, 2017.
The church to cost about RM5.7 million would be built in stages.
Ramsay said the first phase of the project to include a prayer hall, an office and a Sunday school, would cost around RM2.2 million to build, and would be completed by next year.