KAPIT: Deputy Minister Youth and Sports Malaysia, Steven Sim Chee Keong began a two-day official visit to Kapit on Monday. It was his first visit to the town and division.
Sim, who was in Kapit to officiate at the state level Rural Sports Programme (Sukan Luar Bandar), ended up falling in love with Sarawak.
At Rumah Benggau Andah, Nanga Sut, Baleh, the first longhouse he visited, he was so overwhelmed by the warm welcome arranged by the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) and impressed by the longhouse setup that he vowed to make another trip to Kapit.
Addressing some 300 people who gathered at the decorated verandah of Rumah Benggau, Sim said,
“Sukan Luar Bandar is one of the programmes we wanted to bring to the rural areas because we know that in the past, the federal BN government might have neglected the rural areas in Sabah and Sarawak.
“The new federal government under PH wants to ratify this. Not only do we want to share the physical development and the wealth all over the country, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, we also want to share beneficial programmes like Sukan Luar Bandar,” he said.
Accompanying Sim on the visit were some 20 senior officials from the Ministry of Youth and Sports at the federal and state levels.
Rumah Benggau Andah is located about 45 minutes’ drive from Kapit along Jalan Mujong.
Besides touring the longhouse, Sim also performed the ritual offering ceremony (miring), handed out “Sijil Pendaftaran Persatuan” to Kelab Bola Keranjang Bletih and Kelab Sukan Rekreasi Market TJ and sports equipment to three longhouses, namely Youth Bureau Rumah Benggau, Rumah Richard Engking and Rumah Tang.
He also presented prizes and hampers to the winners in the Street Soccer Competitions and Netball Competitions and announced a grant of RM20,000 for Rumah Benggau Andah to improve its multi-purpose hall.
Sim also announced another RM5,000 for the Youth Bureau to carry out its activities.
On Tuesday morning, Sim and his entourage visited Rumah Tang, Nanga Banyau, Baleh.
He concluded the visit by leaving Kapit at 12.30pm for Sibu.
The state-level Rural Sports Programme was held from July 7 to 9 July at Kapit Town, Rumah Richard Engking, Sungai Amang and Rumah Benggau Andah.
Among the sports were mini sports (sukaneka), street soccer, volleyball, futsal, netball 3-on-3, archery clinic, tug or war, blow-pipe and batak lampung.
On Monday afternoon, Sim visited the “Padang Sukan” which was being upgraded to meet the contractor who briefed him on the progress of work.
He also visited Rumah Richard Engking, Sungai Aman, at Jalan Selirik here to officiate at the futsal competitions.
In the evening, he visited Rumah Benggau Andah.
