Uggah (right) presenting a mock cheque of RM1.5 million to Bishop Danald (centre) while assistant bishop Right Reverend Nelson Ugas (left) look on. – Photo by Nigel Edgar
KUCHING: The long-awaited construction of the new building for the House of the Epiphany can now begin after the state government, through the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor), topped up the funds needed to build it.
Deputy Chief Minister and minister-in-charge of Unifor Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas presented the RM1.5 million grant for the Anglican theological college and training centre in a ceremony at the old House of the Epiphany building, which would be demolished to make way for the new building.
Receiving the grant was Diocese of Kuching Bishop the Right Reverend Datuk Danald Jute, who thanked the state government for the second grant.
Danald said that in 2019, Unifor gave the diocese RM7 million for the the building fund while the diocese had managed to raise another RM1.5 million on their own, leaving only RM1.5 million to round up the figure to RM10 million.
“Last year, Uggah came and presented RM7 million, and this morning he is here to present a ‘second installment’ as an addition. Thank you.
“The estimated total cost of the new building is about RM10.3 million and maybe more. To make the place function, we would need another RM3 million to equip the offices with computers, for the library, audio/video system, kitchen and other fixtures.
“So I would like to appeal to the state government for a bit more help,” Danald said in his speech during the grant presentation ceremony this morning.
The new five-storey building will house a chapel, lecture room, seminar rooms, library, administrative and staff offices, ministry offices, a mini museum, staff and students’ accommodations and meeting spaces, and is expected to be completed in September 2022.
The present old wooden building was opened in 1953 during the episcopate of Bishop Nigel Cornwall.
Apart from that, Bishop Danald also appealed for assistance from the state government for several other development projects for the diocese.
Among the development projects would be an estimated RM18 million extension to the St Thomas Cathedral including a multi-storey carpark, a RM9.5 million retreat centre, a columbarium, fund to build a new building for St Thomas Kindergarten and to expedite the diocese’s application to acquire a piece of land in Sungai Maong to build a centre for its Chinese congregation.
“We have identified a piece of land and submitted an application to Unifor for assistance. We hope Uggah can help us to expedite the approval process, or give us better advice,” he said.
On Unifor, Bishop Danald also hoped the state government would allocate more funds to Unifor to allow it to help not only the Christian groups but other non-Islamic religious groups as well.
He hoped too that the unit could be further enhanced or elevated to allow it to do more.
“I salute this inclusive policy of the Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
“This augurs very well for the state,” he said.