KUCHING: Mission schools that receive financial assistance from the state government through the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) are urged to provide quarterly reports each year on the progress of their respective projects.
“This is for Unifor to monitor the progress of the respective projects,” said Unifor director Richard Lon when speaking at the presentation of financial assistance to mission schools (Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuching) for the year 2021 here on Tuesday (Nov 9).
He encouraged mission schools to contact Unifor via their mission authority if they faced any issues with their projects or if further assistance is required.
“This financial assistance provided for mission schools in Sarawak is to help the schools to improve and upgrade their infrastructure needs,” he said, adding that this presentation ceremony was the first in a series of similar ceremonies planned for this year.
He said the Mission Schools Executive Committee was established under Unifor in May this year, chaired by Deputy Chief Minister and minister-in-charge of Unifor, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
He said the committee comprised all mission authorities of various denominations such as Roman Catholic, Anglican and Methodist.
“Its main role is to manage the financial assistance provided by the state government through Unifor to mission schools in Sarawak.
“This is the first time that we have officially received funds from the government to help mission schools in Sarawak and we are very thankful to the government for helping us.”
He expressed his hope to work closely with the relevant parties including the administrations of mission schools for the benefit and advancement of mission schools in the state.
“Apart from managing the mission school financial assistance, Unifor, which was established in 2017 under the Chief Minister’s Department, also helps to manage the needs of non-Islamic houses of worship in Sarawak.”
In this regard, he said thus far, Unifor had assisted in 1,232 projects throughout Sarawak and the state government had allocated a total of RM165 million from 2017 up until now.
Also present were Local Government and Housing Assistant Minister Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil, who is also advisor to Roman Catholic Mission Schools in Kuching; Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuching, Archbishop Simon Poh; Sarawak Council of Christian Schools chairman Douglas Telajan; and Archdiocesan Education Council chairman Thomas Hou Kok Sen.
