THE Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Ministry plans to develop a centralised, up-to-date Youth and Sports Database.
Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the database will enable the Ministry to make informed, data-driven decisions.
“Developing this database for Sarawak requires extensive research and an inclusive approach to data collection,” he said in his Ministerial winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting on Tuesday (Nov 19).
“To ensure the database is comprehensive and accurate, my Ministry will work with the Institute for Youth Research Malaysia (IYRES) on the Sarawak Youth Index 2.0 study.”
He added that the database will be integrated with the existing Intergrated Games Management System (IGMS) from Sarawak Sports Council (SSC) to create a system that serves the needs of various key stakeholders.
“We are also looking into integrating with Sarawak Big Data in time to come.
“This initiative will provide my Ministry with the insights needed to develop effective targeted strategies for youth development in leadership, sports and entrepreneurship, and shape policies that positively impact the lives of Sarawakian youth,” he said.
In a related development, Abdul Karim stated that from January to October this year, Persatuan Mengecah Dadah Malaysia (Pemadam) Sarawak conducted 88 programmes focused on promoting balanced development and preventing drug abuse among various societal groups, including students, parents and workers.
“Sarawak has seen a decrease in positive urine drug test cases among school students, with 35 positive cases reported by the National Anti-Drug Agencies (AADK) this year, down from 48 cases in 2023 and 116 in 2022.
“This decline highlights the sucessful collaboration between Pemadam, the Education Department District Offices, agencies such as Royal Malaysian Police and AADK.
“My Ministry will continue to collaborate with the police, AADK, Pemadam and Persatuan Belia Kebangsaan Bersatu Sarawak (Saberkas), universities, and various non-governmental organisation (NGOs) to further enhance the ongoing drug prevention campaign, with a RM500,000 allocation provided by the state government,” he added.
