Kuching: The upgrading project for the football field shared by villagers of Kampung Bumbok and St. David’s Primary School is expected to move forward after receiving renewed approval from the federal authorities.
Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Mordi Bimol said the funding for the field upgrade project was applied for earlier by the villagers and the school with the assistance of Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen and was approved by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports last year, but the project could not start for some reason.
“Now, the department has approved the funding again, and this time the department itself will take over the construction.
“We hope that this project will proceed smoothly and provide better sports facilities for villagers and students,” he said during a site visit to inspect the field facilities, arranged by Chong, who is also DAP Sarawak Chairman and ADUN for Padungan.
Also presented was Sarawak Youth and Sports Director Lamat Nyalau.
At the same time, Mordi also thanked Chong for the arrangement and expressed appreciation to the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK), the school administration, the school board, and the Parent-Teacher Association for their warm reception.
Mordi also commended Chong for installing smart TVs in classrooms within his constituency, noting that digital education is no longer optional but a basic requirement for schools.
He said he hopes schools in his constituency will also be able to enjoy similar teaching facilities.
“Development is not just about building buildings, auditoriums, or infrastructure; more importantly, it is about cultivating talent. Schools are the starting point for human capital development,” he said.
Mordi further stressed that although living conditions differ between rural and urban areas, the government must ensure rural students are not left behind in terms of educational opportunities and learning facilities.
“Cities have tuition centres, shopping malls and abundant resources, but children in rural areas may not have these conditions. Therefore, as elected representatives, we must ensure that children living in rural areas have the same development opportunities,” he said.
He also encouraged villagers to establish youth clubs and sports associations and to register them with agencies under the Youth and Sports Ministry to gain access to government funding and development resources.
He stated that individuals aged between 15 and 30 can form youth clubs, whereas there is no age limit for sports associations.
He suggested villagers could set up organisations such as the Kampung Bumbok Football Association or Badminton Association and register them with the sports council.
“Once the group is established and successfully registered, it can apply for various government grants and development funds, giving rural youth more platforms to participate in sports and community activities,” he added.
Mordi also said that, given his current responsibility to oversee youth and sports development in Sabah and Sarawak, he intends to place greater emphasis on youth development and sports infrastructure in rural areas of East Malaysia.
He stressed that government youth programmes must be effectively implemented to benefit young people living in rural communities.
