By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, Feb 21: Sarawak Minister for Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development (MYSED) Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah wants to decentralise the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Sarawak so that, in addition to Kuching, certain sports events will be held in other divisions such as Sibu, Miri, Sri Aman, and others.
Abdul Karim told reporters this following the launch of Borneo International Garden Expo Sarawak (BIGEXS) 2023 today, which was held at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here.
“I believe that other divisions in Sarawak should be given the opportunity to organise one or two sports for Sukma, which is why I want to decentralise it.
“Maybe in Sibu we can have badminton and volleyball, sepak takraw in Miri, boxing in Sri Aman, and so on, so all Sarawakians will be very happy to see (them live), being given the opportunity to be there to support Sarawak,” he said.
He went on to say that, despite the fact that all of the states have agreed for Sarawak to be the next Sukma host, the Sarawak government is still waiting for official confirmation because the matter must still be approved by the federal Cabinet.
Furthermore, Abdul Karim, who is also the Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts (MTCP), noted that the proposal for Sarawak to host Sukma 2024 was made by the federal Minister of Youth and Sports Hannah Yeoh.
“Sarawak will have no issues with the facilities, as it just hosted the 2016 Sukma.
“However, there may be some minor upgrades required, such as toilets, tracks, and fields, which may require some funding, but we are not worried.
“Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg is very happy to hear that Sukma may reach our shores,” he said.
“I am looking at Sukma from the perspective of developing sports. The moment it is held in Sarawak, there will be a lot of interest and excitement, as well as the number of athletes coming in.
“The souvenir shops and hotels will benefit from Sukma, therefore it will be a big boom for our tourism industry,” he added. — DayakDaily
