KUCHING – The Sarawak government has beefed up measures relating to the accountability aspect in handling funding for religious projects, with the Unit for Other Religions (UNIFOR) collaborating closely with the Public Works Department (JKR) to access project costs.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas who is also UNIFOR director, said the cooperation was to ensure that requests for funding are validated and meet state requirements. He mentioned that JKR are now using a bill of quantities (BOQ) which is a list used by an architect or civil engineer to quantify labour, materials and indirect costs, such as overheads.
“JKR today has a BQ (bill of quantities) for materials supplied in terms of government contract. This is to ensure that the money will be spent accordingly,” he said at the UNIFOR 2026 Other Religious Temple Assistance Cheque Distribution Ceremony held in Kuching.
The government has set aside RM95 million for UNIFOR projects this 2026. From the total, RM90m is to be used for building and upgrading churches while RM30m allocated for mission schools. The allocation demonstrates Sarawak’s effort to assist various religious groups and education institutions, which are spread throughout the state.
The allocations were part of RM20 million added in typical, compared with the preceding year, to an initial allocation for use on the epidemic following a proposal from Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Uggah and approval by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg. The extra amounts are also expected to boost infrastructure in mission schools, particularly science technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in education.
The officials have said that some part of the mission school allocation will be used to purchase modern teaching aids like smart boards as well, so that students get a better environment to learn. This step is part of Sarawak’s more general education mission, which encompasses free higher education at state universities.
The Cheque Presentation Ceremony also saw money being given to some temples, mosques and schools not regarded as strictly worthwhile recipients, reaffirming the government’s commitment to inclusivity and fairness of development. According to Uggah, the collaboration with JKR aimed not just for cost management but also to fulfil audit conditions, so allocations made are transparent and defensible.
Community leaders have hailed the initiative as a step toward more organized and fair funding of religious and educational institutions. By marrying financial oversight with a knowledge of how buildings are built, the state hopes to turn out projects that are not just cost-effective, but useful.
“As the development agenda continues to broaden in Sarawak, an enhanced UNIFOR will be instrumental in ensuring that funds reach the people of urban and rural areas.”
