RM1b allocation not just for sports: Syed Saddiq

SEPANG: The RM1 billion allocated to the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) under Budget 2019 will not be just for sports, according to minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.
He said that apart from the RM100 million set aside for the preparation of athletes for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the RM10 million for the development of eSports, the surplus of the RM1 billion would be spent on youth development.
"Yes, the amount received is RM1 billion but it's not for sports alone but for all. As mentioned before, the National Civics Bureau (BTN) and the National Service (NS) Training Programme have been included under KBS and so there is a need for a higher allocation.
"KBS also has several new programmes coming up like the 'Malaysian Future Leader School' where we train the best young talent to one day become prime minister, minister, chairman or chief executive officer of renowned companies," he told reporters after watching the signing ceremony of a cooperation agreement between Sepang International Circuit (SIC) and Yamaha, here today.
Asked about the allocation for preparing athletes for next year's SEA Games in the Philippines, he said the matter would be discussed at the upcoming coordination meeting.
"But it could come from the overall allocation of KBS," he added.
The Budget 2019 tabled by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng yesterday saw a 25% rise in allocations to agencies such as the National Sports Council (NSC), the National Sports Institute (NSI) and the State Youth and Sports Department. — Bernama