KUCHING: The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development (MYSED) is the instrumental backbone of Sarawak’s development in grooming future leaders and promoting racial integration through sports and youth-based programmes.
Its minister Datuk Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said though his ministry’s programmes did not produce direct economic returns on a mass scale today, its significance was in the moulding of future Sarawakians who would one day play the leadership role.
“MYSED offers a different kind of return compared to other ministries because, if it is managed properly, it can become a ministry with a massive impact. This is where we look after our youth, and this is the ministry that is constantly in the public eye. We know that the leadership we have today will eventually be taken over by the youth of today. That is why, if we do not mould them properly, if we do not organise and guide our youth in the right way, what we inherit in the future will be problematic,” he said during the Kesinambungan Budi Appreciation Ceremony in Kuching.
The celebration honoured 36 MYSED employees, including 24 in the class of the 2024 Excellent Service Award, seven retirees and five officers who have been reassigned.
Beyond youth development, Abdul Karim also highlighted the ministry’s duty to foster racial unity through sports. “Yes, for the past four decades that we have held events like this in Sarawak it has always brought together communities from all walks of life and ethnic groups such as Dayak, Chinese Malay, Melanau, Bidayuh and Iban,” he stated.
“Sports provide a multitude of benefits outside of recreation and physical fitness. They serve another crucial function, too, reminding us that when we are competing at sports, race is meaningless. Instead, we will be as one, as Sarawakians,” YB Karim also said.
MYSED also have been involved youth entrepreneurship programmes as well, such as the YES (Youth Entrepreneur Setup) where it brought thousands of participants Sarawak wide. Such knowledge ensures that with sufficient digital skills and enterprising mindset, young people are ready for the economic challenges of the present-century.
The sports agenda of the ministry has widened through activities like the Sarawak Games (Suksar) which act as a platform for the identification and grooming of young sports talent before competing at national level competitions like Sukma. They are programs that not only build athletic skill but also solidify and help grow communities across the state.
Also present at the ceremony were Deputy Ministers Datuk Dr Ripin Lamat and Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu, as well as senior officials including MYSED Permanent Secretary Dzulkornain Masron, MTCP Permanent Secretary Morshidi Fredrick, Acting CEO of the Sarawak Sports Corporation Khairul Nizam Morshidi and Dolhadi Marzuki the Deputy Permanent Secretary.
The increasing portfolio of MYSED is indicative of Sarawak’s overall policy direction to incorporate development in an inclusive manner where youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and sports are considered crucial tools for the formation of a united society.
