KUCHING: The Sarawak government has made history by, for the first time, providing incentives to all winning athletes from 14 states who participated in sporting events hosted in the state last year.
Minister for Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, explained that previously, state government incentives were generally given only to Sarawak athletes who won in certain sports events.
She said a different approach was adopted when Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg announced that incentives would be extended not only to local athletes but also to all winning athletes from the 14 participating states.
“This has never happened before. Usually, incentives are only given to athletes from the host state, but this time they were extended to all participating states,” she said in an interview here.
She added that the initiative reflects the state government’s commitment to translating the principle of inclusivity, as outlined in the state’s development strategy, into concrete action.
According to her, the concept of inclusivity not only involves equal treatment between able-bodied and differently-abled athletes, but also extends to athletes from other states.
“The incentives are distributed equally according to medal categories—gold, silver, and bronze. The calculation is uniform, regardless of the state,” she explained.
She noted that the total amount allocated for incentives was RM399,000, covering athletes from all 14 states, including Sarawak.
Of this total, 20 Sarawak athletes also received incentives based on their individual achievements.
She further explained that the allocation for each state was determined by the number of gold, silver, and bronze medals won by athletes from that state.
“No matter which state, the calculation is the same. The number of gold, silver, and bronze medals is all based on the pre-determined rates,” she added.
She expressed hope that associations and athletes from other states would appreciate the initiative as a gesture of support and recognition for their achievements.
The move also underscores the Sarawak government’s ongoing commitment to promoting fair and inclusive sports development in line with the state’s development aspirations leading up to 2030. -UKASnews
