KOTA KINABALU: A call for the setting up of a Unit For Other Religions (UNIFOR) in Sabah were among three resolutions passed at the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) annual congress yesterday (Oct.29).
The proposed UNIFOR, modelled after a similar unit in Sarawak, has proven effective in supporting the welfare of non-Muslims by providing financial assistance for developing and upgrading their houses of worship.
The motion, put forward by PBS Youth Chief Christoper Mandut, was unanimously approved by the delegates.
UNIFOR, as PBS envisions it, would support a more equitable approach for non-Muslim religious groups, helping them worship freely, maintain their places of worship, and address their community needs with structured government backing.
Mandut said the proposal aligns with PBS’s vision for a more united and harmonious Sabah, where all rights and beliefs are valued.
PBS hopes the Sabah government will recognise the importance of this unit and take steps to implement it, following Sarawak’s example in safeguarding religious harmony.
The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah – PH Plus government has over the last two years allocated more than RM60 million annually to non-Muslim bodies.
The other resolutions passed at the congress were on protecting Sabah’s rights over the continental shelf and rejecting the 2012 Territorial Sea Act, and pushing for an immediate allocation of one-third of parliamentary seats to Sabah and Sarawak.
