Putrajaya: Nine non-Islamic houses of worship in Sarawak have secured approximately RM1.5 million in funding under the Ministry of Housing and Local Government’s (KPKT) Non-Islamic Houses of Worship (RIBI) programme, said Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen’s special assistant, Sim Kiat Leng.
Sim, together with fellow special assistant Michael Kong Feng Nian, visited KPKT in Putrajaya yesterday in conjunction with Sarawak Day to witness the approval process for the latest batch of RIBI grant applications and to complete the necessary documentation.
He said six religious institutions in Sarawak were approved in the latest round of applications, bringing the total number of successful applications to nine, including three institutions that had received approval earlier.
Describing the occasion as significant, Sim said it was meaningful to witness the implementation of the allocations on Sarawak Day, as it reflected the Federal Government’s continued commitment to supporting the development and needs of Sarawak’s non-Islamic religious communities.
“Sarawak Day commemorates our history, and today we are also seeing the Federal Government delivering tangible assistance to Sarawak through the RIBI programme to help religious organisations upgrade their facilities and strengthen their community service,” he said.
According to Sim, with assistance from Chong Chieng Jen and the DAP service team, a total of 18 RIBI funding applications from the Kuching area were submitted to KPKT this year, covering temples, churches, and other non-Islamic religious organisations.
“To date, nine of these applications have been approved, involving allocations of approximately RM1.5 million, while the remaining nine are still under evaluation. We hope to receive more good news in the near future for the remaining applications,” he said.
Sim noted that many religious organisations were previously unfamiliar with the Federal Government’s grant application procedures.
To address this, Chong’s service team assisted applicants in preparing the required documents, compiling supporting information and following up with the relevant authorities to ensure eligible applications were properly considered.
Sim added that Chong’s service team would continue assisting eligible religious organisations in applying for RIBI grants to ensure more grassroots communities in Sarawak benefit from Federal Government assistance while promoting the state’s religious diversity and multicultural harmony.
“As long as they meet the application requirements, we welcome any non-Islamic religious organisation in need of assistance to contact us.
“We hope that through these efforts, more religious organisations in Sarawak will benefit and that Federal Government resources will truly reach the grassroots,” he said.
