Dr. Ngenang (right) hands over his duties to Richard (left) and witnessed by Uggah.
KUCHING: Richard Lon, 50, has succeeded Datu Dr Ngenang Janggu as the new director of the Unit For Other Religions (Unifor).
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas witnessed the handing-over-of duties from Ngenang, 65, to Richard at his office at Wisma Bapa Malaysia today.
Richard was previously Unifor’s deputy director. Prior to this, he has served in various units in the Chief Minister’s Office and he also used to be the special officer for former deputy chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang.
Ngenang was the first to be appointed as director of Unifor, which was was set up in April 2017 to assist all non-Islamic religions in the state.
Uggah is also the minister in charge of Unifor. The unit is the brainchild of the fifth chief minister, the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem.
It is now continued and strongly supported by his successor Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia to have such a unit dedicated to helping the different houses of worship not only in their physical development but in securing building sites as well as new cemetery sites.
For this year, Abang Johari has allocated a sum of RM50 million for Unifor which is under the Chief Minister’s Office, which is an increase from RM30 million allocated in 2019.