The current setup of Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Ministry has long been punching above its weight – as they say in boxing – more so in the last 12 years when sports itself has been looked upon as an industry, and where sports is big business.
It is a feel-good ministry or, to quote its former minister, Khairy Jamaluddin, a “Ministry of Future and Magic” where the athletes are magicians.
“No other group of people can unite the nation the way our sporting heroes do”, said Khairy at a national athletes’ assembly in 2018.
The ministry’s main task has always been seen as to produce world-class athletes who go on to win medals. There is an element of sports for all, but the ministry or minister has always been pulled into the more prominent part of the ministry, which is when we get a place on the podium at major events. Hence, the “feel good” ministry.
With the new government in place, it is time to relook at how we can level up our approach to sports in the county.
This is the best time to work on any major transformation. Before and after our new prime minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, took his oath of office, he had consistently propagated the need for a smaller Cabinet.
This would entail merging ministries strategically to meet the end objective of his administration.
Based on the ‘Kita Boleh’ (We Can) Pakatan Harapan manifesto, their vision for Malaysia is “to build a sustainable, caring and compassionate, respectful, innovative, and prosperous Malaysia based on mutual trust”. This vision is to be achieved through these three objectives:
- We can safeguard the welfare of the people
Generate balanced and sustainable economic growth to protect the rakyat’s holistic wellbeing. - We can govern with integrity
Restoring confidence and fostering trust between the people and the government. - We can prepare the nation to face the future
Empowering the rakyat in facing whatever challenges that may arise in the future, such as climate change, racial unity, and education reform.
Sports is further elaborated upon as one of Pakatan Harapan’s action plans under the heading of “Advancing Sports Economy” where sport can be transformed into an “engine to drive Malaysia’s prosperity”.
In deciding what the future sports ministry should be like, the Pakatan Harapan manifesto should be read in conjunction with the latest sports blueprint, the National Sports Vision 2030 (VSN2030).
Both these documents can point to the synergistic portfolios that complement sports to help meet Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto and VSN2030 plans.
VSN2030 has six core strategies of sports culture, sporting excellence, sports industry, athlete development, professionalism in sports, and sports hub. Both the manifesto and VSN2030 require an enhanced sports ministry in terms of its functions.
A common theme that can be inferred, is to have an active population to create a healthy workforce that can be more productive to power the economic generation of the country. Digitalisation, technology, data, science, sports industry and athlete welfare are other common areas that can be seen in the manifesto and VSN2030.
Hence, in the government’s delivery of an enhanced sporting vision, as well as minimising the Cabinet size, there is merit in following Japan’s route in having a single Education, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry.
In Malaysia’s case, I have omitted the culture aspect. This combination of portfolios can help realise both the coalition’s manifesto and VSN2030’s objectives.
The transformation of sports in the next five years can help Malaysia showcase the “on the field” and “off the field” performance of an enhanced sports industry, in time for the 2027 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.
This will truly expand the definition and functions of the ‘Ministry of Magic’ to help advance the sports economy in Malaysia.
This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Twentytwo13.
