ABOUT 30,000 people have registered as volunteers for the 2026 Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Selangor, far surpassing the state’s initial target of 5,000.
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said he was particularly encouraged that most of the applicants were young people eager to play an active role in ensuring the success of the Games, which will run from Aug 15 to 24.
“Preparations for Sukma are progressing smoothly, and what we are proud of, and find inspiring is the level of volunteer participation, especially among the youth,” he said after a breaking of fast event with Penggerak Belia Selangor and university students at his official residence.
Also present was Selangor youth, sports and entrepreneurship committee chairman Mohd Najwan Halimi.
Amirudin said organisers would try to accommodate as many volunteers as possible to ensure the Sukma was managed efficiently and systematically, adding that training sessions would begin soon to prepare them for the event.
He also said Selangor was now more than 80% ready to host the Games, with the torch run scheduled to begin in May.
The RM40mil upgrading of the Aquatics Centre was currently 30% to 40% complete and expected to be fully operational by June – two months before the opening of the Games, he said.
Amirudin added that Selangor government had introduced a semi‑free education initiative this year for students at state‑owned universities, reported Bernama.
The scheme covered about 4,000 Selangor students pursuing studies at Universiti Selangor and Universiti Islam Selangor, with the state paying 50% of their tuition fees.
With the scheme, students would pay half of their course costs to the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN), Amirudin said.
