KUALA LUMPUR: Swimming lessons, “boot camps” for housewives to learn healthy cooking and reintroducing the Rakan Muda programme are among initiatives the Youth and Sports Ministry is working on to keep Malaysians healthier and safer, said its minister Hannah Yeoh.
Speaking at a dialogue session with the media on Tuesday, she said the swimming lessons would be a preventive measure to reduce the incidence of drowning involving children and adolescents, especially during the school holidays.
theSun yesterday ran a report quoting Fire and Rescue superintendent Mohd Fahmi Husin from the department’s Operations Management Centre, who said 56 children under 12 years old died during the school holidays from Jan 1 last year to Tuesday, and that most cases were due to neglect and lack of adult supervision.
Yeoh said: “Over 500 youths drown yearly based on records provided to my ministry. It was discovered that most of the youths died during the school holidays either in swimming pools or while swimming in rivers.”
She said to ensure the swimming lessons are successful, the ministry wants parents to commit their children to a minimum of 12 lessons.
“This will allow them to learn the very basics of swimming. Lessons will be held at public pools owned by the government and coaches will be paid by the ministry.”
Yeoh also said the boot camps for housewives will be targeted at those living in Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) flats.
“They will be taught healthy cooking and healthy living lifestyles. These boot camps will be held during weekends,” she said, adding that her ministry will identify locations at PPR flats where the sessions could be held.
She said her ministry tried to hold a boot camp at a PPR flat field in Selangor last week, but had to move to a different location because the field was filled with parked cars.
“This boot camp is part of the ministry’s efforts to introduce grassroots programmes to ensure those living in PPR flats have equal access to knowledge. We are also planning to reintroduce the Rakan Muda programme for youths as there has been huge interest in it being revived. We will be working with the Education Ministry on this.”
On matters involving sports associations and athletes, Yeoh said the ministry is undergoing a digital transformation to ensure greater transparency and a closer working relationship with sports associations.
“Sports associations have complained that they are unaware of how decisions are made or money is spent by the ministry. By digitalising information on such matters, all sports associations can find out how the ministry spends money and its decision-making process.”
Yeoh said digitalisation will also make it easier for sports associations to apply for grants to carry out their activities.
She said as Budget 2023 was tabled this month, it will only get parliamentary approval in April.
“This means we will only have a few months to disperse the funds before the next budget is introduced.”
Yeoh said she has met the bulk of sports associations in the Klang Valley to discuss their problems and issues. On associations based outside Selangor, she said she has only met representatives from four states and will meet the rest as soon as possible.
“I have also met the National Sports Council (NSC) to discuss issues faced by athletes, such as ensuring their allowances are paid on time. I have discussed the issue of the NSC holding talks with all stakeholders to resolve problems faced by athletes and others without the need for the ministry or minister to be involved. This will help to sort out the problems faster.”
