KUCHING: Sarawak is putting hope on the new Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh to further develop the sports sector in Sabah and Sarawak, says Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

Adding on, the Minister of Youth, Sport and Entrepreneur Development of Sarawak also expressed his hope that the federal minister would not focus only on programmes and activities in Peninsular Malaysia.

“We have two big states, Sabah and Sarawak. Please come over and we’re to welcome your visits, apart from holding more sports programmes,” Abdul Karim, who is also Sarawak United National Youth Organisation (Saberkas) president, told reporters when met after the adjournment of the 55th Saberkas supreme council meeting at a hotel here yesterday.

Adding on, he congratulated Yeoh, who is Segambut MP, not only on her ministerial appointment but for being the first woman MP to hold the post in Malaysia.

“Hannah Yeoh is very experienced – she had held the post of Selangor DUN (State Legislative Assembly) Speaker and in the last parliamentary election, she was among those MPs who secured high-majority votes.

“This means that she is someone well accepted by the people, be they youngsters or adults,” said Abdul Karim, who is also Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts.

Meanwhile, he informed the press that for next year, Saberkas has lined up 727 programmes involving various clusters.

He added that all Saberkas branches would be involved in running these programmes in view of next year being the movement’s 50th anniversary.

It is informed that the Saberkas clusters are named after sectors such as ‘Leadership’, ‘Education and Training’, ‘Social’, ‘Recreational and Welfare’, ‘Entrepreneurship’ and ‘Economy’.

“All the programmes (for 2023) will encompass all aspects of community outreach.”

Moreover, Abdul Karim said a special event to launch Saberkas’ Silver Jubilee logo would also be arranged for next year.

Also present at the press conference yesterday were Deputy Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi who is Saberkas deputy president; vice-presidents Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, Dato Gerald Rentap Jabu and Martin Ben, and also secretarygeneral Safiee Ahmad.