By Nur Ashikin Louis and Christopher Lidom
KUCHING, May 20: The Sarawak government has allocated RM6.5 million to build the Al-Mustashfa Mosque in Sarawak General Hospital (SGH).
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the allocation would also include upgrading existing ‘solat’ areas in the hospitals.
“The first thing is about performing ‘fardu kifayah’ (communal obligation), secondly is to serve as places of worship for the Muslim patients, and thirdly, to fulfil the needs to provide a comfortable space for ‘jenazah’ management,” he said during SGH’s Jum Berjarah Raya Dinner programme held at the Sarawak Islamic Complex here earlier tonight.
Abang Johari said he also had instructed the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) to provide an interfaith prayer room for non-Muslims.
“Therefore, through Unifor, we will also give RM600,000 to upgrade the spaces in SGH for other religions.
“(The allocations) are different because they (Unifor) requested one room or a place to pray, and they have estimated the cost to be about RM600,000. So we give RM600,000 (for the purpose) for other religions in the hospital,” he added.
Also present during the programme were Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, SGH director Dr Ngian Hie Ung, and the event’s organising chairman Dr Nik Azim Nik Abdullah. — DayakDaily
