Mawan: Ours not to dictate but to support youths

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KTS senior executive Doreen Eng (right) receives a Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of KTS Trading Sdn Bhd from Mawan as Dr Rundi (left), Lee (second left) and others look on. — Photo by Chimon Upon

Mawan (front row, third right) together with (from left) Abdul Karim, Dr Rundi, Lee, and Affendi during a photo call with the grant recipients.— Photo by Chimon Upon

KUCHING: The roles and functions of sports and youth associations in the state are crucial in developing and moulding young people to realise and discover their potentials and talents.

Minister of Social Development Tan Sri William Mawan said youths ought to be given opportunities and platforms to develop themselves in order to produce more world-class athletes.

“Youths face numerous challenges in today’s globalised world and with the social media boom, they are open to all kinds of information, some of which are good while others may not be conducive to their well being and therefore can lead them to all kinds of undesirable elements,” he said when presenting grants from the ministry here yesterday.

As such, he said it was imperative that youths be actively engaged in sports and youth organisations.

“We must plan proper activities and attend to the young people’s needs and aspirations as well as to empower them to determine and implement their own activities for their own benefits.

“Our role is to facilitate and support, not to dictate and determine what the young people wants,” he said.

Meanwhile, 44 sports associations and five other associations under the ministry’s youth section received government grant totalling RM5,157,600.

Among the associations were Football Association of Sarawak (FAS), Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA), and Government Officials Welfare and Recreational Council (Maksak).

Mawan also presented Certificates of Appreciation to corporate bodies including Sarawak Energy Bhd, Naim Cendera Sdn Bhd and KTS Trading Sdn Bhd for their contribution to sports association in developing sports in the state last year.

Assistant Minister of Sports Datuk Lee Kim Shin, Assistant Minister of Youth Development (Urban Areas) Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Assistant Minister of Youth Development (Rural Areas) Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi and permanent secretary to the Ministry of Social Development Affendi Keli were among those who attended the function.