THE Sports Development Act 1997 is set to be reviewed to strengthen enforcement and close legal loopholes, including measures to tackle corruption in both the sports and e-sports sectors, says Hannah Yeoh (pic).
The Youth and Sports Minister said her ministry is currently holding roundtable discussions with stakeholders to identify provisions that could make the Act more effective and empower both the Sports Commissioner and the minister to act decisively
“The amendments are expected to be tabled next year as part of efforts to close all gaps in the existing law,” she said in reply to Nurul Amin Hamid (PN-Padang Terap).
Nurul Amin said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had previously warned that e-sports are vulnerable to corruption.
With the lucrative prize money often involved, he asked whether the Youth and Sports Ministry was planning to strengthen the Sports Development Act to curb the risks of fraud and manipulation in e-sports sector.
Yeoh said her ministry has been working closely with the MACC to address integrity issues in sports.
“The MACC has met with the National Sports Council (MSN) and signed memoranda of understanding with several sports associations to provide guidance and conduct continuous education sessions.
“These efforts are aimed at ensuring that all stakeholders understand the impact of corruption on sports,” she said.
She also raised concern over the rise of illegal online gaming, noting that the government is losing significant revenue due to its widespread presence.
“Online gambling is among the major issues linked to gadget addiction and youth-related social problems.
“While I don’t have specific data at hand, I can assure you that this matter is part of my ministry’s ongoing discussions with MACC,” she added.
On a separate matter, she said at this stage, there is no active promotion of e-sports in schools by either her ministry or the Education Ministry.
However, several engagement sessions have been held with the Education Ministry, through its Sports, Co-curricular and Arts Division, she added.
Following these sessions, the Education Ministry has prepared a proposal paper and draft guidelines for the implementation of e-sports in schools, said Yeoh.
“According to information from the Education Ministry, starting next year, the ministry will begin to evaluate and support the organisation of e-sports competitions by external agencies involving students, for the purpose of awarding Physical, Sports and Co-curricular assessment marks.
“This support will only be given to organisers who use approved game titles, based on a list issued by the Game Title Evaluation Committee,” she added.
This committee also includes representatives from the Health Ministry’s Psychology and Counselling Unit, to ensure that every game title and its content is appropriate for the educational context and does not affect students’ wellbeing, said Yeoh.
Through the National Sports Council, the Youth and Sports Ministry has also provided input, including submitting the National e-Sports Development Guidelines as a key reference document for the Education Ministry’s e-sports guidelines.
