KOTA KINABALU: Sabahans are being urged to become more physically active and make healthier living part of their daily routine amid concerns over increasingly sedentary lifestyles.
Sabah Health Department director Datuk Dr William Gotulis made the call when officiating the state-level “Sihat Itu Saya Bah” wellness and health promotion programme here on Sunday (Aug 9).
More than 500 participants, including Health Department personnel, took part in the event at Likas Bay, which began with a warm-up session followed by a 5km fun walk and other health-related activities.
In a social media post, the department said good health should not be viewed as a passing trend, but as a conscious choice and commitment.
“Let us make today the start to be more active and healthy. If we do not start, who will? If not today, when?” it said.
The #SihatItuSayaBah programme was introduced to encourage people to begin their own journey towards better health, stressing that healthy living was not merely about preventing disease but should become a way of life.
The initiative is also in line with the Healthy Malaysia Agenda and the Healthy and Prosperous Civil Servants Initiative (i-PASS), which seek to promote healthier lifestyles among Malaysians.
In April, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad highlighted findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023 showing that 29.9% of Malaysians were physically inactive, up from 25.1% in 2019.
He said 84% of adults did not take part in sports, fitness or leisure-time physical activities, while one in two spent more than two hours a day being sedentary, including sitting or lying down.
Dr Dzulkefly described the figures as worrying, saying physical inactivity was a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.
He said a more strategic, comprehensive and integrated approach was needed to encourage behavioural changes towards more active and healthy lifestyles.
He made the remarks when launching the national World Physical Activity Day and Northern Zone Fitness Carnival 2026 in Kangar, Perlis.
