MIRI: Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Miri Division Amateur Swimming (MASA) on Thursday to jointly advance sports in Northern Sarawak through a variety of collaborative initiatives.
The MoU signing ceremony took place at the university campus in which Curtin Malaysia was represented by its pro vice-chancellor, president and chief executive Professor Simon Leunig while MASA president Lee Ling Wei signed for the association.
Leunig said it was an honour for Curtin Malaysia to be able to partner with MASA for the development and advancement of sports in the northern region of Sarawak.
“MASA is well known for its efforts in promoting the sport of swimming in Miri Division for many years.
“Miri has produced some of the best swimmers who have competed at state and national levels largely due to the association’s efforts in unearthing new swimming talents and grooming and developing them to a very high level of competitiveness.
“So, it was without hesitation that we accepted the invitation to partner with MASA. We sincerely hope MASA’s exemplary dedication and commitment, and our commitment to supporting sports development and promoting sports excellence in Sarawak, will translate into a very strong and impactful partnership,” he said.
He pointed out that Curtin Malaysia has a longstanding commitment to advancing sports excellence in Malaysia particularly Sarawak through partnerships and collaborations in research, education, and sports development with bodies such as the National Sports Institute of Malaysia, Sarawak Sports Corporation, Sarawak Rugby Union and others.
“We continue to support Sarawak’s sports agenda, both as a Sarawak government-owned entity with an inherent obligation to support the state’s advancement, and as a higher education institution with the relevant knowledge and expertise, particularly in sports science and sports engineering, to do so.”
Meanwhile, MASA president Lee stated that Curtin Malaysia had the ideal environment and facilities, as well as the expertise, for the collaborations laid out in the MoU.
He said MASA was looking forward to working with Curtin Malaysia on developing and conducting sports courses and training for the sports fraternity in Miri.
“The association will also play its part in encouraging athletes to pursue relevant courses at Curtin Malaysia so that they can better contribute to sports development in Sarawak,” he said.
He also thanked Dr Ong Kong Swee, vice-president of the National Sports Enthusiasts Council (NASEC) and sports science consultant to both Curtin Malaysia and MASA, for bringing the two parties together for the MoU.
Under the MoU, the two organisations will jointly promote sports and recreational activities in Northern Sarawak and organise professional courses and short courses for swimming in Miri in addition to sports conferences and competitions.
They will also share and exchange their respective knowledge and expertise for the advancement of sports in Sarawak; collaborate in the development of sports education; as well as deliberate and make recommendations on policies, methods, and measures to be formulated or adopted for the development and advancement of particular sports.
