WITH 34 People Centric Projects (Projek Rakyat) and 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) projects approved, the Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Ministry (MYSED) is paving a path for locals, especially youth, rural communities and sportsmen by providing conducive, safe and standard sports facilities.
Its Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said to date, a total of RM198.5 million had been approved under the People Centric Projects throughout the state.
“Twenty People Centric Projects are in various stages of implementation and consist of new sports complexes in districts, extension and refurbishment works for social facilities and stadiums,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech today.
He asserted that the building of new sport complexes and the refurbishment of sports facilities would greatly assist and provide Sarawak’s youth, athletes, sports enthusiasts and local communities to have better access to facilities for leisure or training.
To achieve his ministry’s aspiration to become a “Nation Sports Powerhouse” in Malaysia, Abdul Karim stressed that Sarawak must be able to provide a conducive environment and platforms for hosting and staging world and international events in Sarawak.
“My ministry has been consistent in ensuring the facilities under our ministry are maintained.
“Forty facilities throughout the state have been surrendered to Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) in December 2020 to ensure that the sport facilities and complexes will be handled according to international standards and specifications,” he said.
Abdul Karim said that under the 12 MP, 11 continuation projects from the 11th Malaysia Plan (11 MP) and five new projects had been approved.
The continuation projects, he said, were mostly for upgrading of sports complexes, youth camps and sport facilities.
He revealed that the proposed set-up of the One-Stop Youth Centre in every civic centre was another initiative by his ministry to make use of the existing social facilities to encourage participation and provide moral support to youth in social, sports and entrepreneurial activities.
“In line with the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS), under the strategic thrust to accelerate the economic development by optimising use of assets such as utilising existing building space for productive activities, the Kuching Civic Centre will be the pioneer for the One-Stop Youth Centre pilot project,” he said.
