Penang govt allocated more than RM4m for Islamic affairs last year

GEORGE TOWN: A total of RM4.11 million was allocated for Islamic affairs in Penang last year.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the amount shows that the state government did not neglect the welfare of the Malays and Islam in the state.
He however did not dismiss the possibility that the state administration would receive flak for this from their detractors.
"When we increased the allocation for Islamic affairs and development, we were labelled as anti-Chinese, that we took Chinese votes and assisted the Malays.
"This type of religious and racial sentiment should not have been played up. We in Pakatan Harapan need to help all regardless of background, religion and ethnicity," he said during a press conference at Komtar today.
During the press conference, Lim handed over a mock cheque for RM1.478 million for the payment of allowance to the mosque committee.
The allocation was received by Penang Islamic Affairs Department director Dato Sazali Hussein and was witnessed by Deputy Chief Minister 1 Datuk Rashid Hasnon, Deputy Chief Minister 2 Islamic Affairs Datuk Abdul Malik Abul Kassim and state excos.
The allocation is for the first six months of this year for 406 Imams, 365 Bilals and 386 Tok Siak.