SIBU, Sept 2 — Sarawak has allocated over RM1.1 million to cover the maintenance costs of six missionary schools in the Sibu and Sarikei Divisions.

Channeled through the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) under the Sarawak Premier’s Department, the funds were presented by Sarawak’s Minister of Food Industry, Commodity, and Regional Development, Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom.

SJK Methodist (M) Sibu received the highest amount of RM300,000, followed by SMK Tong Hua, Meradong (RM200,000); SK Methodist Anglo-Chinese, Sarikei (RM176,361); SJK(C) Su Kwong, Sarikei (RM150,000); SJK(C) Tong Hua, Meradong (RM150,000); and SMK Methodist, Sibu (RM125,999).

Dr Rundi highlighted that Unifor not only provides support for the physical development of non-Islamic religious institutions, including churches and cemetery land applications, but also plays a broader role in assisting the government in managing non-Islamic institutions in Sarawak.

"For instance, in Bintulu, I am working on establishing a new, larger cemetery for the Christian community, though the location is a bit far from the city centre.

"We need about 60 hectares of land, which has been requested by the Sarawak Unifor Charitable Trust from the Land and Survey Department,” he said during the cheque presentation ceremony to the schools today.

He explained that since there is no longer available land within Bintulu for a new Christian cemetery, the proposed larger cemetery will be built in Sebauh.

He emphasised that the new cemetery is necessary due to the increasing population, as many people migrate to Bintulu for work and eventually settle there. — Bernama —