KUALA LUMPUR – Non-Muslim houses of worship can still submit to the government maintenance funding applications every year, clarified Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.
In a statement today, Nga, who is also Perak DAP chief, said that the government assistance will be allocated based on applicants’ needs, with priority to be given to those who need the funds urgently and those who have yet to receive such aid.
The Teluk Intan MP also assured that the ministry will not block any application, including those from parties which have already received the financial assistance.
The minister’s promise comes amid brickbats from certain quarters over the ministry’s reported plans to amend the guidelines for government funding applications from non-Muslim houses of worship.
The amendments, which deputy minister Aiman Athirah Sabu disclosed in the Dewan Rakyat on November 25, will include a three-year ban on non-Muslim houses of worship that have already received government funding from submitting new applications.
In urging Nga to reconsider the potential amendment, MCA vice-president Tan Teik Cheng had called the move “very unreasonable” and “nonsensical”.
He added that the three-year restriction fails to consider how some non-Muslim houses of worship may require urgent repairs or accidents after receiving government support.
Meanwhile, Nga said today that as of October this year, the ministry had channelled RM46.13 million in maintenance funds to 422 non-Muslim houses of worship, including temples, churches and gurdwaras.
Of the amount, 147 temples and 25 gurdwaras had secured financial aid of up to RM21.35 million. – November 28, 2024