KUALA LUMPUR – The Youth and Sports Ministry will not approve allocations through the Sports Matching Grant or the Community Sports Fund if there is involvement from tobacco companies, electronic cigarettes or alcohol, following amendments made under the Safe Sport Code.
Minister Hannah Yeoh emphasised that the ministry will also cancel an event if the involvement of these companies is discovered after approval, as it is harmful to everyone.
“We definitely will not allocate funds for activities that have sponsorships or use products (tobacco, electronic cigarettes and alcohol) like these. We (also) as the owners of the Stadium Corporation implement the same ban,” she said.
She said this after launching an anti-smoking campaign organised jointly by Cengild GI Medical Centre, the Malaysian Tobacco Control Council, the National Cancer Society of Malaysia and the Health Ministry here today.
In February, the Sports Ministry said it would take proactive steps by improving the Safe Sport Code after reports went viral on social media about a sporting event sponsored by a vape company.
Meanwhile, commenting on today’s event, Hannah said the ministry will intensify the implementation of the Rakan Muda programme this year as part of efforts to ensure youths are free from social issues.
She said the Rakan Muda initiative attracted 5,682,590 participants through 7,260 programmes and activities last year. – July 10, 2024