SIBU: The Sarawak government’s commitment to supporting diverse religious communities through the Unit for Other Religions (UNIFOR) is seen as an important pillar in sustaining the state’s longstanding culture of unity and religious harmony.
Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Youth Chief, Councillor Kevin Lau Kor Jie, said UNIFOR reflected the state government’s inclusive approach in ensuring that the needs of different religious communities were recognised and supported.
He said such a policy was particularly significant in a multiracial and multireligious state like Sarawak, where mutual respect and cooperation remained essential to maintaining social stability.
“UNIFOR was established to look after and assist all religions in Sarawak. As citizens and as one community, I believe this is a very important policy that we should continue to support so that Sarawak can have a more prosperous and united society with a stronger spirit of togetherness.
“In this way, we can continue to live peacefully and harmoniously despite being a multiracial and multireligious society,” he said when officiating at the annual dinner of the Gereja Methodist Iban Bawang Assan (GMIBA) at a restaurant here on Saturday night (Sept 26).
Lau, who is also SUPP Bawang Assan chairman, said the inclusive approach also benefited religious institutions in rural areas, particularly those requiring assistance to maintain and improve facilities used by their congregations.
On GMIBA’s application for UNIFOR funding to support the construction of a new church building, he said he had met Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian two days before the dinner and was informed that the church’s application had been submitted to the UNIFOR committee for consideration.
“The GMIBA application has been submitted to the UNIFOR committee for consideration, and we will wait for the next announcement from UNIFOR,” he said.
Beyond government assistance, Lau also called on the local community to take greater ownership of the church and ensure that its role would continue to be carried forward by younger generations.
He said the church was more than a place of worship, as it also served as a source of comfort and fellowship while helping shape the community through Christian teachings and values.
Lau stressed that sustaining religious institutions should not be measured solely by the amount of financial contributions received, but also by the sincerity and willingness of members of the community to share their resources and support one another.
“It is not only about government support for the church. As a community, we must work together and take care of one another.
“Let us take care of our church and base our lives on Christian teachings so that we can become better people,” he said.
He also urged young people to remain actively involved in church activities and carry forward the commitment of previous generations to preserving the church as a place that contributes to the happiness and wellbeing of the community.
Meanwhile, organising chairman Penghulu Dennis Ansam said GMIBA was facing significant financial demands to sustain its operations while simultaneously raising funds for the construction of its new church building.
He said the church required more than RM40,000 annually for operational expenses, including about RM29,000 in annual contributions to the Methodist Iban Annual Conference of Sarawak.
However, fundraising remained challenging as most of the congregation comprised farmers, with a significant number also being senior citizens and retirees.
“Our church is a rural church and most of our members are farmers. We also have many elderly and retired members. Therefore, collections through weekly offerings or contributions are not very substantial,” he said.
Dennis said GMIBA had embarked on the construction of a new church after its existing building, which was more than 70 years old, deteriorated and was no longer in satisfactory condition.
He said piling works for the new building had already begun, while the church continued exploring additional funding sources to keep the project moving.
GMIBA had previously received RM150,000 in funding from UNIFOR and was now awaiting consideration for the next round of allocation.
“We sincerely hope the allocation can be approved and received soon because the condition of the existing site and facilities is currently far from satisfactory,” he said.
Dennis added that the church had also applied for funding from the federal government through the Non-Muslim Houses of Worship (RIBI) programme, while seeking assistance from elected representatives, the Minor Rural Project (MRP) and other sponsors.
