Contact sports, recreational activities still not allowed in Sarawak, state govt to look into relaxing SOPs – Abdul Karim

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Abdul Karim speaking to reporters at the Kuching International Airport VVIP terminal lounge today. – Photo by Roystein Emmor

KUCHING (Sept 16): Sarawak still does not allow sports and recreational activities requiring physical contact even though these activities are allowed in other states under Phase Two and Three of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) beginning Sept 17.

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said, for now, Sarawak is still following the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) which only allows non-contact sports activities.

However, Abdul Karim said the state government will look into relaxing the SOPs in regard to this matter.

“Currently, we are still following what has been set by SDMC before this that is physical contact sports are not allowed. There have been some sort of relaxation (of SOPs) announced by SDMC yesterday,”

“The relaxation was regarding the SOPs for admission into Sarawak. God willing, these (contact) sports will be allowed (soon) as well,” he said when met by reporters at the Kuching International Airport’s (KIA) VVIP terminal lounge here today.

He was asked to comment on the announcement made by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday that sports and recreational activities requiring physical contact are now allowed under Phase Two and Three of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) beginning Sept 17.

Ismail Sabri said however that this is limited to those who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and that the activities must be done at facilities that can conduct “full supervision”.

“Team sports and recreational activities that involve physical touching such as football, volleyball and takraw are allowed at full capacity of the sport,” the prime minister added.

Meanwhile, Abdul Karim, who is also the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, said Sarawak is also in the process of reopening more industrial sectors in  stages, including sports activities.

“This means that the process for the opening of industrial centres such as tourism as well as sports activities is being started (in stages).

“This is also to enable the athletes who will represent Sarawak to the Malaysian Games (Sukma) to undergo their training sessions,” he added.

On the plan to develop athletes in the state, Abdul Karim said, his ministry has a long-term plan to develop the potentials of Sarawak athletes to compete at the state, national and world levels.

“That is why in our plans, among others, the centre of excellence that we will develop at the sports complex in Petra Jaya so that these athletes are nurtured more carefully like the one in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur,” he added.

Before speaking to reporters, he was at the KIA VVIP terminal lounge to welcome back the Sarawakian paralympic athletes who participated in the recent Tokyo Paralympics 2021. The athletes arrived in Kuching today from Kuala Lumpur.