KOTA KINABALU: A Sabah assemblyman has proposed to the state government to consider providing funding to support pilgrimages by Christian religious leaders to holy sites.
Datuk Ewon Benedick (Pakatan Harapan-Kadamaian) said he appreciated the government’s effort to increase allocations for non-Muslim schools and religious bodies in the state.
Benedick, who is also the federal Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister, said the RM56.75mil allocation this year has been increased to RM69.99mil in 2025.
“I propose that the Sabah government consider supporting Christian religious leaders, for example, to go on pilgrimages to holy sites under this proposed funding,” he said when debating the State Budget 2025 at the state assembly here on Monday (Nov 18)
Benedick further suggested that a special unit for Non-Muslim Affairs to be established either in the Chief Minister's Department or the state Finance Ministry.
He said this unit could help coordinate all related assistance, including the Non-Muslim Religious Buildings Maintenance Assistance Initiative (Ribi) implemented by the Federal Government.
“The unit could also facilitate visits by non-Muslim religious leaders who wish to visit the state,” Benedick said.
The assemblyman also proposed that the Native Court Training Institute (Ilman) be converted into a school at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).
“I suggest the state government discuss with UMS on how to make Ilman as a school or faculty to teach native laws.
“In the long term, we need to provide highly qualified judges for the native courts from among the graduates of Ilman.
“With this, we can elevate the status of the native court to be on par with the civil and syariah courts, including establishing the Sabah Native Judiciary Department,” said Benedick, who is also the Penampang MP.
