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Published: Thursday November 12, 2009 MYT 12:54:00 PM

‘Sarawak has never demolished worship centres’

By JACK WONG


jackwong@thestar.com.my

KUCHING: Sarawak authorities have never demolished any place of worship built illegally on government land although there are now 43 of them in the state, said Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Mohd Naroden Majis.

These include Chinese temples and surau (Muslim shrines), he told the Sarawak State Assembly here on Thursday.

“If the land where such worship centres are sited is needed for public development, the state government will first hold dialogues with their management committees to discuss relocation,” Mohd Naroden told Voon Lee Shan (DAP-Batu Lintang) during question time.

Citing an example, he said the Chinese temple at Jalan Petanak here had agreed to be relocated to a new site approved by the government.

He said the management of a surau in the Kampung Similajau Bau squatter area in Bintulu had also agreed to move to a new site to make way for a Sabah-Sarawak gas pipeline project.

“These examples clearly demonstrate that the state government is sensitive in dealing with issues related to worship places, and that it has never hastily taken enforcement action,” he added.

However, Mohd Naroden advised any party which planned to set up a worship centre to get approval from the relevant authorities.

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