PUTRAJAYA, Nov 28 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) does not restrict applications for allocations to maintain non-Muslim places of worship, said its Minister Nga Kor Ming.
He explained that financial assistance would be distributed based on the needs of each applicant, with priority given to those in urgent need and those who have not previously received aid.
“This initiative prioritises non-Muslim places of worship requiring immediate assistance, in line with KPKT's commitment to ensuring ‘no one is left behind, no one is marginalised.’
“Non-Muslim places of worship may submit applications to KPKT annually, and funding approvals will be based on necessity and the fiscal position of the government,” he said in a statement today.
The statement addressed allegations by some parties claiming that KPKT's decision to limit the frequency of such applications for government allocations was unreasonable.
This was following KPKT deputy minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu’s statement in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday, that non-Muslim places of worship that have received allocations may only reapply after three years.
Aiman Athirah reportedly said that KPKT is revising the programme guidelines to prevent repeated allocations to the same premises.
Nga further highlighted that as of October, KPKT had provided RM46.13 million in maintenance assistance to 422 non-Muslim places of worship, including temples, churches, gurdwaras, and shrines.
“Of this amount, 147 temples and 25 gurdwaras received a combined total of RM21.35 million,” he noted.
As part of Budget 2025, the MADANI Government has allocated an additional RM50 million for the maintenance of non-Muslim places of worship, reflecting its ongoing commitment to promoting diversity, harmony and supporting the needs of Malaysia’s multicultural communities.
Nga also urged against politicising the issue through the spread of false or misleading information.
-- BERNAMA
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