(Miri, 23rd) Sarawak Deputy Minister of Tourism, Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew, stated that the Sarawak government continues to provide allocations through the Premier’s Department’s Unit for Other Religions (UNIFOR) to assist various religious venues and mission schools in upgrading their physical facilities. He encouraged those in need to actively submit applications.
He said that, to date, the Sarawak government has allocated RM90 million for religious venues and RM30 million for mission schools. The goal is to ensure that people and venues of different religious backgrounds can receive appropriate assistance, improve their facilities, and enhance the environment for religious activities.
He pointed out that the first phase of this year's allocations has already been disbursed in succession, and there is still about RM55.17 million pending distribution. He hopes to continue the disbursement by the end of October, while also processing more applications during this period.
"Everyone should not be shy. If there are still areas that need upgrading or improvement, please continue to apply. The government’s allocation policy will continue, and everyone should make good use of these resources."
Sebastian Ting made these remarks while delivering a speech during the handover ceremony of RM150,000 in UNIFOR funds at the Canada Hill Borneo Evangelical Church last night.
He said the main purpose of the government promoting this allocation policy is to implement the principle of inclusiveness, so that people and venues of different religious backgrounds can receive assistance.
"If a project can be completed within one and a half or two and a half months, it should be finished as soon as possible, the report submitted, and the next application phase begun."
He revealed that the allocation system by the Premier's Department's Unit for Other Religions has been implemented since 2017, with the initial allocation amounting to RM15 million. It has gradually increased since then, reaching RM90 million for religious venues and an additional RM30 million for mission schools.
Emphasizing Educational Development
On another note, Ting pointed out that apart from helping religious premises upgrade physical facilities, the Sarawak government also attaches great importance to educational development, especially in helping young people access higher education.
"Education is very important. We all hope our children can receive a good education and do even better than us in the future."
He said the Sarawak government’s implementation of free higher education helps reduce families’ education burden, allowing students to use the money that would have been spent on tuition fees for development after graduation and entering society.
He gave an example: a student completing a four-year engineering course could help their family save about RM100,000. This sum can be used by graduates as startup capital for entrepreneurship or professional development upon entering society.
In addition, for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the Sarawak government also provides related living allowances to help them cope with the expenses of study and living during university.
Ting revealed that as of May this year, 4,694 students have benefited from the free education measures, and four local universities have started recruiting eligible new students. He believes the number of beneficiaries will further increase.
He emphasized that the Sarawak government will continue to invest resources in education, ensuring that more Sarawak youths have access to higher education, thus laying a more solid foundation for Sarawak’s future human resources and economic development.
Making Good Use of Resources to Give Back to the People
Ting stated that with Sarawak’s continued economic growth, the state government will continue to seek and make good use of revenues from natural resources such as oil and gas, allowing more resources to be returned to the people to further improve their living standards.
"We hope these resources truly benefit the people, especially in the field of education, so that the next generation will have better opportunities for development."
He said that Sarawak has made good progress in oil production, and in the future, in addition to the oil sector, the government also looks forward to further development in natural gas and other related industries to bring more economic benefits to Sarawak.