Efforts are being taken for the Unity, and the Youth and Sports Ministries to join forces in organising sports programmes with the ultimate goal of uniting Malaysians.
Twentytwo13 learnt that representatives from the Unity Ministry had met officials from the Youth and Sports Ministry recently regarding a possible “synergy”. All that is left now is to sort out the “paperwork” to see how both parties can work together.
Insiders said the effort, if it becomes a reality, will be a win-win situation for both ministries.
This is because the Unity Ministry has funds for such initiatives, while the Youth and Sports Ministry can provide manpower, expertise, and facilities to organise sporting events.
For the record, deputy Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker previously served as former deputy Unity minister, while Ti’s successor, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, was the former deputy Youth and Sports minister.
The real winner will be the participants. While unity-related themes are expected to be injected into such events, the bigger goal is to create a sporting culture among Malaysians by getting more people to lead an active lifestyle. This could also result in the mushrooming of various sports events at the community levels.
The Unity Ministry has carried out several sports-related programmes in recent times, including organising a walkathon in conjunction with the National Sports Day last October, partnering with the Sportswriters’ Association of Malaysia for its annual awards ceremony last year, and the ‘Jom Tengok Bola Uniti Bersama Harimau Muda’ in support of the national football team that competed in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers in June.
