Yeoh fields questions from reporters today. – Photo by Galileo Petingi
KUCHING (Sept 16): Federal Ministry for Youth and Sports is gearing up to support Sarawak in ensuring the success of the highly-anticipated 21st Malaysia Games (Sukma) to be held in Sarawak next year. Its minister Hannah Yeoh gave an update on the matter today.
“The committee for Sukma has already started engaging but we’re going to have an official meeting where Dato Gerald Rentap Jabu (Sarawak Deputy Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development) has briefed me that they have some requests that they want to bring to the attention of the federal government.
“So we will discuss it and see what is the best way for us in the federal government to assist so that Sukma 2024 can be done successfully,” she said at the launch of Phase 2 of the Sports Basic Skills Training (Swimming) Programme here.
The 21st Sukma, which is scheduled for Aug 17-24 in 2024, will involve competitions in a record 37 sports. Events for various sports will be held and spread across eight divisions in Sarawak, namely Kuching, Sri Aman, Samarahan, Betong, Sibu, Mukah, Bintulu and Miri.
State Minister of Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah had previously said that organising the next edition of Sukma is expected to incur expenses exceeding RM100 million.
Sarawak last hosted Sukma in 2016.