Kuala lumpur: Amendments to the Sports Development Act 1997, which will include provisions on sports integrity, are set to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat next year. Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh announced that the ministry (KBS) is currently engaging in roundtable discussions with stakeholders to enhance the act’s effectiveness and strengthen the powers of the Sports Commissioner and the Minister.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Hannah Yeoh stated during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat that the proposed amendments aim to address existing loopholes in the act. She was responding to a supplementary question from Nurul Amin Hamid (PN-Padang Terap) regarding plans to enhance legal powers to curb fraud and corruption in the e-sports sector in Malaysia.
Hannah Yeoh also mentioned ongoing discussions with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to tackle corruption issues in sports. In response to a question from Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias (BN-Jelebu) about promoting e-sports in schools, she clarified that the ministry maintains a conservative stance on this issue, citing concerns about gadget addiction and excessive use among students.
She further explained that while the ministry supports athletes representing Malaysia, it does not actively promote e-sports at the school level. Parental control and guidance are deemed crucial to manage interest in e-sports. No active promotion of e-sports by either the KBS or the Ministry of Education (MOE) is currently in place.
However, Hannah Yeoh highlighted that several engagement sessions with the MOE have occurred, resulting in a proposal paper and draft guidelines for implementing e-sports in schools. Starting next year, the MOE will support e-sports competitions involving students, provided they use approved game titles.
The game title assessment committee, which includes the Counselling Psychology unit from the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH), will ensure that game content is suitable for educational contexts and does not harm student well-being. Input from the National Sports Council and Impact has contributed to the National Esports Development Guidelines (NESDEG), which will serve as the primary reference for the MOE’s e-sports guidelines.
Hannah Yeoh assured that discussions between KBS and MOE would continue to support e-sports growth while safeguarding students’ interests, ensuring their participation is protected.