By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, June 18: Non-Muslim places of worship are allowed a maximum of 250 worshippers at any one time during a religious activity upon reopening on June 20.
The Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) under the Chief Minister’s Department in a press statement today said it had further refined the guidelines for the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the reopening of houses of worship.
It disclosed that the number of attendees during a religious activity has been increased to 250 at any one time during a religious activity from 100 persons previously.
Unifor asserted the new guidelines were in line with the decision agreed by the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) to allow events for the state government and private sectors to increase the number of participants to 250 people.
Nonetheless, it stated that places of worship are required to take into consideration the spacing and capacity of the places of worship as well as observing the one meter social distancing rule.
Last Tuesday (June 16), Unifor disclosed that the number of worshippers allowed during a religious activity must not be more than 100 persons after taking into consideration the social distancing rule.
It noted the number of people allowed for the reopening of places of worship is contained under item 3.1 of the general guidelines and SOPs for the reopening of non-Muslim places of worship.
In the meantime, Unifor stressed that all non-Muslim places of worship are required to notify Unifor of their reopening from June 20.
It added the reopening of places of worship is subject to places of worship being gazetted under the Missionary Societies Ordinance 1967 (Sarawak Cap.106) or under Charitable Trust Ordinance 1994 and registered with The Registry of Societies Malaysia (ROS) under the Societies Act 1966 (Act 355).
Unifor said the notification for the reopening of places of worship can be submitted to the unit through institution headquarters or respective places of worship using PP.01/2020 Form while those not under a body can submit the forms directly to the unit.
Unifor added the form can be downloaded from its website at http://jkm.sarawak.gov.my dan http://jkm/sarawak.gov.my/UNIFOR.
The unit said the form can also be obtained from the headquarters of respective religious bodies and Resident and District Office.
For further enquiries, contact or send an email to Unifor’s Corporate Communication and Policy Department’s officers Simon Engka Crown at simone@sarawak.gov.my / contact 082-550610 extension 126 / 014-5750990 and Ambrose Linang Sidu at ambrosels@sarawak/gov.my /028-550610 extension 127 / 019-8780787. —DayakDaily
