Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) is enhancing national sports development with an allocation of RM1 million through the National Sports Trust Fund (KWASN) to identify and nurture athletic talent among members of the nation’s uniformed bodies. Minister of Youth and Sports, Hannah Yeoh, affirmed this commitment while chairing a Coordination Meeting for Uniformed Body Programs which was attended by senior and top-ranking officials from the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), Malaysian Prison Department (JPM), Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), and Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the statement issued by KBS highlighted that uniformed bodies have been instrumental in providing athletes who have achieved success in various international sporting events for the Malaysian Contingent. Sports like archery and shooting, championed by these bodies, have seen world-class athletes from ATM and PDRM. Additionally, athletes from ATM, PDRM, JBPM, and JPM have been active in national-level sports such as lawn bowls, sepaktakraw, cycling, hockey, and boxing.
The statement further outlined notable achievements by athletes from uniformed bodies, including Saritha Cham Nong (ATM), who won a gold medal in the women’s compound team event at the Asia Archery Cup Championship in Singapore, and Erma Firyana Saroji (PDRM), who claimed a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and a bronze at the 2025 World Bowls Indoor Championship in Scotland. Furthermore, Mohd Shaharil Aiman Halim (PDRM) and Mohd Afifudin Mohd Razali (ATM) secured silver medals in the team regu event at the 2024 Sepaktakraw World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, with Mohd Affifudin also winning gold in the quadrant event at the 2025 Asia Sepaktakraw Championship.
KBS is also supporting the Malaysian Prison Department’s focus on Petanque and JBPM’s focus on Table Tennis as part of its strategy to expand talent development among uniformed personnel. The goal is to cultivate the next generation of athletes who will contribute to Malaysia’s success in international sports.
The meeting also explored new proposals, such as the inclusion of new sports like aquatics – open water, table tennis, and climbing for uniformed bodies. Discussions were also held on reintroducing uniformed bodies’ contingents to the Malaysia Games (SUKMA) and appointing paralympic athletes into uniformed bodies’ administration, aligning with the policy for one percent employment of persons with disabilities (OKU) in public service.