Ministry gets RM70.1 mln next year
Sabah's achievement in sports in the current year did not go unno ced as the Youth and Sports Ministry received an increased alloca on under Budget 2019.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s achievement in sports in the current year did not go unnoticed.
The Youth and Sports Ministry received an increased allocation under Budget 2019, getting Supply Expenditure amounting to RM70.1 million.
It is higher than the RM68.37 million received for this year, its minister Datuk Frankie Poon told the State Assembly sitting in his winding-up speech yesterday.
He said the Supply Expenditure would be distributed for four purposes.
He said a total of RM14,11 million would be allocated for youth development, an increase of alloaction for sports development of RM24.69 million and another RM22 million for the Sabah Sports Board (SSB) as well as for recurring expenses of RM9.3 million.
In addition to the application of supplies, he said the ministry also received RM8.5 million for development as well.
“My ministry will ensure that projects, programmes and activities will provide benefits and generates high impact,” he said.
Poon added that Sabah would continue to strive for excellence in both sports and youth next year, especially after the highly impressive outcomes achieved for the current year.
Top of the pile was Sabah’s best ever medal haul in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) history, bagging 32 gold, 28 silver and 46 bronze medals in the 19th edition in Perak last September.
Apart from that, Sabah athletes also shone at various games, namely record-breaking athletes, namely archer Eugenius Lo Foh Soon (Sukma Best Male Athlete) and Andre Anura as well as Eddy Bernard who won gold for Malaysia in the Asian Para Games.
According to him, among the main programmes for Sabah sports in 2019 included the Sabah Games (Saga) in Keningau as well as athletes’ preparation for the SEA Games in Manila as well as early preparation for the Sukma 2020 and the Sabah Sports Award.
And through the SSB, upgrading of sports facilities will also take place at sports complexes in Kota Kinabalu, Tambunan and Keningau as well as construction of projects for Tongod and Tuaran sports complexes.
“Based on the achievements of the able-bodied and special athletes (in 2018), I hope for strong support from the government.
“Such backing from the government on the ministry’s development programmes through the Sabah Sports Council ensures continuation and will be further enhanced, thus lifting the image of Sabah at national and international levels,” he said.
Poon added sports development too will also involved the National Sports Institute (ISN) for Sabah zone such as the Talent Outreach Programmeas well as the Youth and Sports Department (Federal) Sabah with emphasis also put on the recently included E-Sports.
On the youth side, Poon highlighted they had achieved the target for the year having implemented around 3,000 development programmes and activities as of November 15.