KUALA LUMPUR — The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) will no longer use public funds to repair or upgrade sports facilities located on private land, Minister Hannah Yeoh has confirmed.
Hannah said the ministry had stopped maintaining non-government facilities, including futsal courts, using taxpayers’ money.
“Otherwise, everyone — landowners and neighbouring areas — will ask me to build futsal courts and pickleball courts.
“Now, I always explain in Parliament that if we want to build sports facilities, they must be on Federal Government land to ensure accessibility,” she told reporters after closing the Rakan Muda Convention here today.
She added that if facilities were to be constructed on land owned by local councils or state governments, formal agreements must first be obtained. Construction on private land has been halted altogether.
Hannah explained that there had been cases where state governments refused to accept completed facilities, such as swimming pools, due to the high maintenance costs.
Yesterday, Deputy Sports Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim revealed that the ministry had demolished 30 futsal courts nationwide since 2021 due to poor upkeep.
He said 20 courts in Peninsular Malaysia were demolished at a cost of RM11 million, while 10 courts in Sabah and Sarawak were torn down, involving losses of RM1.4 million — mostly involving 1Malaysia futsal courts.
Meanwhile, Hannah said the ministry was shifting its approach to address mental health issues among young people, particularly concerning vaping and drug addiction.
As a non-enforcement agency, KBS would focus on creating platforms where youth can easily access assistance and treatment, including through online services and partnerships with organisations such as the Malaysian Aids Council.
These initiatives, she said, would encourage more young people to seek help and raise greater awareness of mental health support programmes.
Earlier, in her speech, Hannah also revealed that youth club membership in Malaysia has dropped sharply compared to the 1990s.
Back then, around four to five million youths — about 50% of the youth population — were active in clubs, facilitating the planning and organisation of programmes.
“However, with the rise of smartphones and online services, interest in physical activities has waned.
“As of last year, only about a million youths — roughly 10% of the youth population — were active in youth clubs. It begs the question: where are the other 90%?” she said. — April 27, 2025