KUCHING: The Unit for Other Religions (UNIFOR) and the Sarawak Unit for Other Religions Charitable Trust are two different entities, serving different agendas and objectives, said UNIFOR outgoing director Richard Lon.
Richard said this in response to a statement made by Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian who questioned UNIFOR’s roles in owning shares in five quarries and one timber company.
According to Richard, UNIFOR was set up on April 27, 2017 under the Chief Minister’s Department, which is now known as the Department of the Premier of Sarawak.
“Since its setting up , the Sarawak government has given UNIFOR a total of RM255 million in grants.
“These were to assist in the repair, upgrading and building of houses of worship and mission schools.
“For next year, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has even increased the annual grant to RM100 million,” said Richard in a statement yesterday (Nov 30).
Meanwhile, he said the Sarawak Unit for Other Religions Charitable Trust was set up in 2018 under the Charitable Trust Ordinance, 1994.
“The declaration is cited as the Sarawak Unit For Other Religions (UNIFOR) Charitable Trust Dec., 2018 which came into force on March 29, 2018 as found in the Sarawak Government Gazette Part 11( Vol. LXXII , NO. 29 dated April 25, 2018),” he said.
Richard said under this Declaration, the UNIFOR Charitable Trust “is allowed to hold properties as described in the First Schedule and the properties are to be administered by a Board of Trustees ” appointed under Section 4 of the Charitable Trusts Ordinance, 1994(Cap.7).
“It is also allowed to carry out any activities, particularly the development of commercial and industrial enterprises which appears to the Board of Trustees to be requisite, advantageously or beneficial for the wellbeing of the non-Muslim community in the State as described in part(e) of the Second Schedule,” he said.
Richard added that the UNIFOR Charitable Trust does not acquire any shares from the quarries or the timber company.
“Instead the state is granting those shares to be held by the Charitable Trust which will be a sustainable income for the benefit of any non-Muslim community of Sarawak origin or any religion, educational, training or research institutions for the non-Muslims in the state whom the Board of Trustees may determine and decide to be awarded the necessary benefits (Paragraph 2(c) of the Declaration),” he said.
