Rahman woos Christian community in Sepanggar
KOTA KINABALU: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, has assured the Christian community in Sepanggar that their needs will be looked into.
“Today I met with the Catholic church leaders from Sepanggar parliamentary constituency to inform them that the government is ever ready to listen and extend its assistance to them,” he said.
Abdul Rahman, during the meeting, told those present that the government will assist them in the development of their church and to resolve the problems that they are facing.
“In the Sepanggar constituency, the Christian community is large, therefore the government must take into consideration their opinions. As what I have done in Kota Belud, I will also plan suitable programs for the Christian community in Sepanggar and make available a specific platform through which they can relay their opinions, suggestions and also objections. This platform is the newly set up Sepanggar Consultative Council.
“Representatives from the churches will be appointed as council members. They are grateful for the allocation from the state and federal governments but it is still not enough to meet their needs,” he said.
“They have requested me to look at helping out with the funding on aspects of repairs of the churches and I assured them I will do so,” he said, adding that he will try with all his might and power to resolve the problems.
“But I need the support from all the BN component parties in the constituency and also from the activists and community, especially church leaders,” he said, adding that his office door is always open to church leaders.
He also expressed his disappointment on those with businesses in KKIP like the factories for not thinking about the residents in Sepanggar who gave up their lands for the industrial park.
“I was informed that some of these companies and factories, after making a profit, would carry out CSR programs to assist communities outside of Sepanggar. This is not right and I will be calling for a meeting with them and will inform them that they must set aside at least 50 percent of their CSR budget for Sepanggar,” he said.
Abdul Rahman also expressed his awe for the Christian community and revealed that when he was young, he studied in a mission school.
At the event, he also presented donations to churches in Inanam, Telipok and Manggatal for their Easter celebrations.