KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) will strengthen the development of electronic sports (e-sports), which has high potential for the country’s economy, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Its Deputy Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim said that e-sports are also seen as capable of producing many industry players, including athletes, besides being a gateway to students’ interest in the field of science and technology.
“E-sports is a billion-ringgit industry, and in fact by the end of this year in December, we will host M6 (Mobile Legends: Bang Bang World Championship), where the offered prize value of USD1 million (RM4.7 million) attracts many of our local players who are trying their luck to compete at the local level to seize the championship throne.
“This also produces many industry players, not only players but also in fields such as coaching, casting, programming, marketing, and graphic design, and it is a very robust industry that demands various disciplines to be practiced,“ he said during the question-and-answer session.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Rodziah Ismail (PH-Ampang) who wanted to know the government’s direction in the field of e-sports as it is expected to bring high returns to the country.
Expanding further, Adam Adli said that the direction of e-sports development has been outlined under the Electronic Sports Strategic Plan through the Electronic Sports Development Guidelines (NESDEG) which supports the implementation of strategies contained in the KBS Electronic Sports Strategic Plan 2020-2025.
Answering the original question from Zakri Hassan (PN-Kangar) regarding the provision of e-sports development in rural areas, he said KBS, through Esports Integrated (ESI), has introduced a specific allocation under the KBS E-Sports Fund to encourage local industry enthusiasts to organise more programmes, competitions, and sporting events at the grassroots level.
“A total of 14 projects have been allocated with a sum of RM250,000 and are being implemented, including in rural areas such as Simunjan in Sarawak, Ranau in Sabah, and Alor Gajah in Melaka.
Meanwhile, in response to a separate question from Chong Zhemin (PH-Kampar) regarding the organisation of the Thomas Cup 2026, Adam Adli said the government has no intention of organising the championship in line with the decision of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) previously.
Answering a supplementary question from Datuk Mumtaz Md Nawi (PN-Tumpat) regarding the government’s efforts to restore the country’s badminton excellence, he said KBS is collaborating with the Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Education to produce more future players.
“It is through the High-Level Committee (HLC) established to focus on talent development models, which set closer cooperation from the training, organisation of sports events, and competitions aspects to avoid overlap and ensure aligned direction,“ he said. – Bernama
