PETALING JAYA: The government has allocated about RM757mil for sport, with the bulk going towards development.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said RM460mil has been set aside for this purpose.
"This includes empowering high-performance sports programmes and Road to Gold, programmes for para athletes and deaf sports, as well as maintaining sports facilities nationwide," he said in his Budget 2027 speech in the Dewan Rakyat on Friday (Oct 9).
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, added that a further RM30mil will go towards the Sports Matching Grant, aimed at encouraging sports bodies, clubs and NGOs to organise high-performance events.
RM240mil has been allocated for the SEA Games and Asean Para Games, which Malaysia will host in September next year.
"Next year, we will once again welcome neighbouring nations as host of the Games. This glorious event must be leveraged to elevate the nation's standing and ignite the spirit of unity among the people.
"Therefore, an allocation of RM240mil is provided for the preparation and hosting of the Games," he said.
Funding for school sports activities has also been raised by 50% to RM27mil, which will benefit more than 4.6 million students across 10,000 schools nationwide.
In addition, the government will organise the Unity League to revive traditional sports and folk games as a vehicle for unity.
The initiative targets the participation of up to 200,000 people at community level to strengthen ties.
Opening his address to the august House, Anwar hailed the organisation of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia last week, in particular the volunteers, marshals and non-governmental organisations that made the race possible in a short time.
He also saluted the Malaysian contingent for equalling the record of nine gold medals at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, adding that he was proud to see athletes of various races standing with gold on the podium.
