FOR YOU: Mawan (centre) hands over a souvenir to a contingent leader from Pahang, witnessed by Morshidi (left). — Penerangan photo
KUCHING: Minister of Social Development Tan Sri Willian Mawan said the government was always concerned and gave high priority to the development of sports.
He said through a press release yesterday that the government had and would continue to organise various programmes and competitions in the country to enhance the quality of athletes.
The government has also given significant efforts in producing civil servants who are physically and mentally active so that they could carry out their work efficiently and effectively for the development of the country.
He said this when launching the Fourth National State Secretary Inter-Sports Meet held at a leading hotel here on Thursday.
Sarawak is playing host to the game this year, which will end on Sunday, March 4.
Taking part are more than 1,000 civil servants who will compete in golf, table tennis, tenpin bowling, football and netball games.
Mawan said: “Sport is not only about competition but also about participation to be healthy and strong and to forge unity among participants.”
He said he believed the sports meet would create an integration of spirit and unity among the civil servants in line with the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak’s 1Malaysia ‘People First, Performance Now’ concept.
As for Sarawakians, they had long embraced this concept as seen by the way how its 28 ethnic groups have lived in harmony over the years, he said.
He hoped that the participants would use the event to exchange ideas on the government’s administrative, planning and implementation so that the country would successfully achieve its developed status by 2020.
Earlier, State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohd Morshidi Abdul Ghani stressed on the importance of the sporting spirit and oneness among all the athletes involved.
He said the event is not merely organised for recreational and physical purposes, but also to produce civil servants who are more dynamic, active, productive and possess good moral values to meet the challenges of the future.