KUALA LUMPUR: The funding for national sports associations (NSAs) will be based on their Sea Games achievements, but that doesn't mean those who fail to achieve their targets in the biennial games will be left out, said Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
She said the support and funding mechanisms were being worked on and would be finalised after the National Sports Council (NSC) received the Sea Games post-mortem reports from the NSAs.
"Those who won all the (targeted) gold medals will get support, but it doesn't mean that if you don't get it, there couldn't be a reassessment.
"That's why we want to see the post-mortem reports (meet the athletes) and see the potential in that particular sport," she told reporters after officiating at the Graduan Aspire 2023 career fair in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) here today.
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Yesterday, Hannah ordered the NSAs to submit their Sea Games post-mortem reports together with their short- and long-term plans to the NSC to determine the support to be given to the respective sports.
Malaysia could only manage a seventh-place finish with 34 golds, 45 silvers and 97 bronzes, its worst performance in the history of the biennial Games since 1959, and failed to achieve the set target of 40-37-64.
Meanwhile, Hannah requested that both employers and employees find solutions for social issues faced by the current generation of youth.
She said based on the survey by the Institute for Youth Research Malaysia, an agency under her ministry, bankruptcy was the top social issue among youths, followed by pornography, online gambling, drugs, suicidal tendencies and mental health.
Hannah hoped the graduates chose their employers not merely based on salary, but also consider factors such as inspiration to go to work daily and a positive workplace culture.
She requested that employers review the special needs required by their staff, especially those with children or elderly parents to take care of.
Graduan Aspire chief executive officer Nabil Marie said 50,000 to 60,000 graduates were expected to attend the 13th edition of the career fair today and tomorrow, with more than 100 employers offering job opportunities. --Bernama