PUTRAJAYA: The Sports Development Act 1997 will be reviewed to strengthen enforcement and close legal loopholes, including measures to tackle corruption.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh (pic) said e-sports would also be covered in the review.
She told the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Nov 10) that the ministry is having roundtable discussions with stakeholders to identify provisions that could make the Act more effective and empower both the Sports Commissioner and the minister to act decisively.
ALSO READ: The sports commissioner – from the enforcer to the registrar
“The amendments are expected to be tabled next year as part of efforts to close all gaps in the existing law,” she said in reply to a supplementary question from Nurul Amin Hamid (PN-Padang Terap) during Question Time.
Nurul Amin said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had previously warned that e-sports are vulnerable to corruption.
He asked if the ministry was planning to strengthen the Sports Development Act to curb the risks of fraud and manipulation in e-sports, given the lucrative prize money involved.
Yeoh said her ministry has been working closely with the MACC to address integrity issues in sports.
“The MACC has met with the National Sports Council and signed MOUs with several sports associations to provide guidance and conduct continuous education sessions.
ALSO READ: NSC working with MACC to ensure there’s no corruption at next year’s Sukma
“These efforts are aimed at ensuring that all stakeholders understand the impact of corruption on sports,” she said.
She also raised concerns over the rise of illegal online gaming, noting that the government is losing significant revenue to its prevalence.
“Online gambling is among the major issues linked to gadget addiction and youth-related social problems.
“While I don’t have specific data at hand, I can assure you that this matter is part of the ministry’s ongoing discussions with MACC,” she added.
On a separate matter, she said that for now, there is no active promotion of e-sports in schools by either her ministry or the Education Ministry, although several engagement sessions have been held.
Following these sessions, she said, the Education Ministry has prepared a proposal paper and draft guidelines for implementing e-sports in schools.
ALSO READ: Darker side of competitive gaming
“According to information from the Education Ministry, starting next year, it will begin to evaluate and support the organisation of e-sports competitions by external agencies involving students, for the purpose of awarding Physical, Sports and Co-curricular Assessment (PAJSK) marks.
“This support will only be given to organisers who use approved game titles, based on a list issued by the Game Title Evaluation Committee,” she added.
This committee also includes representatives from the Health Ministry’s Psychology and Counselling Unit, to ensure that every game title and its content is appropriate for the educational context and does not affect students’ well-being, she said.
“We will ensure that those allowed to participate in competitions are protected, as the safety and well-being of children remain the top priority for all the ministries concerned,” she added.
