Kota Kinabalu: The Youth and Sports ministry will have nearly RM20 million to spend under the State government's annual budget for the year 2005.Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman announced during his 2005 budget speech at the State Assembly yesterday that the ministry's budget would include an RM18.68 million supply budget and RM1.00 million development budget.
"The Youth and Sports ministry's supply budget will be 1.12 percent of the State's overall supply budget," he said adding that the ministry's development budget is 0.23 percent of the State development budget.
Sabah's overall supply budget is RM1,667.31 million while the total development budget is RM442.29 million.
Last year the ministry was operating on a RM16.19 million supply budget.
Musa said that serious attention needs to be given to sports development in Sabah in the context of high-performance sports and sports for health.
"Sabah has sports talents with much potential as proven in various championships held.
"We will be working closely with the Youth and Sports ministry of Malaysia to ensure we produce and improve the standards of our athletes here while instilling a healthy lifestyle among our citizens through sports culture.
"We will also continue to strengthen co-operation between the National Sports Council and the Sabah Sports Council for the sake of the State's sports development," he said.
Youth and Sports minister Datuk Masidi Manjun is expected to explain the breakdown of his ministry's 2005 budget during the winding up session at the end of the State Assembly sitting on Thursday (Dec 2).
