By DayakDaily Team
BAU, Oct 13: The Sarawak government, through the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor), has allocated RM950,000 to build St Benedict Church in Kampung Tembawang Sauh, providing the community with a more comfortable and conducive place of worship.
In a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) report, Opar assemblyman Billy Sujang said the funding was channelled in stages: RM250,000 for the first phase, RM500,000 for the second, and RM200,000 for the third.
He said 10 air-conditioning units, worth RM35,000 including installation costs, were also provided to improve worshippers’ comfort during religious activities.
“Places of worship such as St Benedict Church are not merely concrete buildings and physical structures. They are spiritual centres, places of unity and moral pillars for our community,” he said at the blessing and official opening ceremony of St Benedict Church in Kampung Tembawang Sauh recently.
Billy added that developing places of worship was part of broader efforts to strengthen community well-being, encompassing not only physical infrastructure but also spiritual development, character building, and community unity.
He explained that the church also served as a unifying centre for the community and a platform to guide younger generations in embracing noble values such as love, integrity, discipline, and mutual assistance.
At the same ceremony, he presented a RM10,000 cheque to the S. Benedict Catholic Church Committee (KGK) to support the church’s activities and needs.
Meanwhile, Billy thanked the church construction committee, village leadership, and community for their cooperation and spirit of ‘gotong-royong’ (communal effort), which helped complete the project successfully.
He said the achievement showed that close cooperation among the government, community leaders, and residents can bring to fruition facilities that benefit the community in the long term.
Also present were St Stephen Parish Bau Rector Rev Father Peter Liston, Kampung Tembawang Sauh community chief Goen Lohim, St Benedict Church chairman Litercheron Kaon, and newly appointed lay leader Edward Eddie Donny. — DayakDaily
