PBS vice-president Arthur Sen said the state administration led by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) had allocated a total of RM313.8 million in the past five years for the maintenance, development and operations of these houses of worship and Chinese vernacular schools.

The state government had increased this allocation from RM43 million in 2020 and 2021 to RM47 million in 2022, RM54.05 million the following year, RM56.75 million last year and RM70 million this year.

“It has already been announced that next year, the allocation will be raised to RM90 million. This is proof of the GRS government’s commitment, and that this aid is not seasonal,” he told FMT.

On top of that, Arthur said the Hajiji Noor administration had also kept Dec 24 as an additional public holiday for Christmas celebrations, an initiative first introduced in 2018.

He said this reflected the state government’s political maturity in retaining a policy introduced by the previous administration.

He also pointed out that in 2021, the Sabah government opposed a proposed law to control and restrict the propagation of non-Muslim faiths, as part of four new shariah laws that were being drafted by Putrajaya.

“Sabah has long been the model of unity for the nation and we want it to stay that way,” he said.

Hajiji had said Sabah did not agree with the proposed law as the state government upheld the principle of freedom of religion enshrined in the Federal Constitution and Malaysia Agreement 1963.