KUCHING, Dec 11: Is the former prelate Anglican Bishop of Kuching and Brunei Darussalam Datuk Bolly Lapok suffering from strange delusions of grandeur or simply misquoted by the media, questioned Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
Uggah was responding to Bolly’s statement which was carried by an online news portal on Dec 10.
Bolly had alleged that millions were given to churches in Sarawak, including Anglican mission schools receiving RM6 million as a result of his direct involvement in politics by joining Party Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).
His membership was announced by PSB on Nov 11.
“We have no issue at all with him joining politics after years of service to God Almighty. But his latest statement to the media is unbecoming of his last office. It is totally devoid of the dignity and virtue of truthfulness,” Uggah said in a statement.
Claming that Bolly was “self-promoting or self-aggrandising”, Uggah asserts that the statement was an outlandish claim to fame by Bolly, purportedly to justify joining PSB.
He clarified Unit For Other Religion (UNIFOR) has been dispensing financial assistance to churches, temples and chapels since its inception in 2017.
“The State government under Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and leadership of Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg had since last year increased UNIFOR’s yearly allocation to RM50 million.
“In October this year, Abang Johari decided to allocate an extra RM15 million to some 127 mission schools statewide for special operation and administration cost.
“A further sum of RM5 million was also set aside to assist churches, chapels and temples whose weekly collection from the faithfuls had drastically been affected due to movement restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,” Uggah explained.
As Bolly only joined PSB in November, Uggah asserts that for the former prelate to claim that his joining had resulted in the assistance to be available, is a “lesson in perplexity and ridiculousness”. — DayakDaily
