SARAWAK churches will go ahead and hold the “Borneo Revival Healing Rally” in the state after the gatherings were held without incident at four locations in neighbouring Sabah over the last two weeks.

The organisers of the rally in Sarawak had earlier cancelled the gathering in the state after a similar event, themed “Jerusalem Jubilee”, was banned in Malacca on the back of protests by several Muslim groups claiming that it was insensitive to hold the gathering in the holy month of Ramadan.‎

But last night, Reverend Augustine Saang, spokesman for the Good News Ministry, the organiser of the “Borneo Revival Healing Rally”, said the event will definitely be held in Sarawak.‎

“We would prefer not to publicise it as there are only around a thousand people who attended the local Church. For now, we will only conduct prayer sessions.

“It is on, and the details are being finalised,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

For now, the event will only be held in one location in Sarawak, unlike in Sabah.

Sarawak Churches had earlier cancelled the event despite getting no objections from the state government, prompting National Unity and Integration Minister Joseph Kurup to question why the event was cancelled in Sarawak as the state had a large Christian population.

Meanwhile, in Keningau, Sabah last night, some 10,000 people turned up at the town’s sports complex for the gathering, for the rally’s fourth and final location in Sabah before it moves on to Sarawak. The rally was earlier held in Telupid, Sandakan and Ranau.

Pastor Gedion Lamangis said they are following closely the developments in Peninsular Malaysia where certain individuals are demanding for anti-evangelical laws.

“The rights of Sabahans are protected under the Constitution and the Keningau Oath Stone bear proof of the Sabahans’ right to freedom of religion,” said Lamangis, who is also chairman of the Interior Prayers Network, a working unit under the Keningau Council of Churches which organised the “Borneo Revival Healing Rally”.

Lamangis said the rally is part of the Council of Churches’ activities aimed at renewing the faith of Christians.

Keningau Council of Churches chairman Pastor John Anthony said the council was grateful to the Sabah State Government for allowing the event to go on.‎

“This is the first time the event is held at the sports complex. Last year it was held at the Keningau community hall as the crowd was much smaller.”

Last night’s event was officiated by State Infrastructure Development Ministry Political Secretary Stanis Buandi while the speakers were Saang and Pastor Shahzad Saddique. The event included a praise and worship session and speeches.

Priscilla Michael, 33, from Penampang said she could not miss the opportunity to attend the event, having missed it in Sandakan earlier due to the distance from Kota Kinabalu. ‎

“Now that it is in Keningau, it took me about a two-hour drive to be here. I told myself I wouldn’t miss this opportunity to get closer to God.”

The three-day event in Keningau ends tomorrow and organisers are expecting a crowd of 30,000 to turn up on the final day.

Sabah’s population of over 3 million is home to Malaysia’s second-largest Christian population, with 853,726 followers. – June 19, 2017.