SABAH, SARAWAK GOVERNMENTS SEE TOO MANY LOOPHOLES IN SPORTS LAW

KUCHING, Tues:The governments of Sarawak and Sabah feel the Sports Development Act 1997 and Youth Development Act 2007 contain “too many loopholes” that exclude the two states from their roles in youth and sports development.

After the signing of joint resolutions calling on the federal Youth and Sports Ministry to amend the acts, Sarawak Social Development and Urbanisation Minister Datuk Seri William Mawan Ikom said: "We were consulted before the drafting of the Acts. But when they were tabled in Parliament, the proposals from the states were not incorporated.

"We want the two Acts to be amended before we agree to allow their extension to the two states."

Sabah Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Peter Pang En Yin said the resolutions lay out the common stance of the two states, and they will be submitted to the federal ministry.

"Certain parts of the two Acts have to be amended as the structure of the government administrations of the two states are different from the states in Peninsular Malaysia," he added.

Pang, the Sabah Deputy Chief Minister, said the proposals focus on the functions and responsibilities of the ministers from Sarawak and Sabah taking charge of youth and sports.

Sarawak Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Social Development and Urbanisation Ik Pahon Joyik explained that the two states want some control over sports development by having their own sports advisory panel.

He said the Sports Development Act gives the power to the federal Ministry of Youth and Sports to form such a panel.

He explained that the resolution concerning youth asks for a form of power sharing with the federal ministry in youth development.

"This is because 'youth' is presently the responsibility of the state, as it does not appear in the Federal List or Joint List. However, with the adoption of the Youth Development Act by Parliament all forms of youth activities and development come under the Act," he said.

He said the two states want this provision of the Act to be amended, and they want a permanent committee on youth to be formed with the federal Youth and Sports Ministry.