By Norrasyidah Arshad
SHAH ALAM, Oct 26 — A total of RM400,000 have been collected from several Selangor state subsidiaries to fund the eighth SeMalaysia State Secretary Games (Suksem).
The agencies include the Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporated) or MBI, which funded RM205,000, Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd and InfraSel Sdn Bhd (RM200,000) and Permodalan Negeri Selangor Berhad (RM30,000).
Other contributions include from KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd (RM10,000), Landasan Lumayan (RM5,000), and Gamuda Land (RM10,000) while Selcare Management Sdn Bhd provided support for the medical staff and ambulance.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari the event is planned in coordination with various parties and strategic agencies to achieve a successful outcome.
“This includes the Selangor State Sports Council, National Sports Institute, National Sports Council, the state’s sports associations and other parties,” he said in his speech when officiating the event at the Panasonic Stadium, here last night.
After a two-year delay brought on by the Covid-19 epidemic, Suksem is finally held in Selangor this year for the first time.
The event, which is a special tournament for civil servants, involves the participation of nearly 2,000 athletes and officers from 12 contingents.
Amirudin said throughout the five-day tournament, the participants will compete in 10 sporting events including football, badminton, sepak takraw, netball and volleyball.
“Suksem’s main objective is not just to compete, but also to build and establish a network that will contribute to bettering the services provided by civil servants.
“In addition to giving the athletes a stage to showcase their talents, this event would give the opportunity to see the best practices in team management,” he said.
Amirudin, who is also a former state executive council for youth development and sports, said that through sports, the community may learn about respecting one another.
“Not everything is about competition. Remember the viral story from the Birmingham Commonwealth Games about our badminton coach, Hendrawan, lending Samuel Ricketts his shoes so the Jamaican player could finish his match?
“The same may be said about Siti Shazwana Ajak, a silat athlete who covered her opponent’s hair after her headscarf was accidentally removed during the SEA Games in Vietnam,” he added.
Suksem is a five-day tournament starting yesterday (October 25) at the Panasonic Stadium in Section 21, Shah Alam.
On October 21, state secretary Datuk Haris Kasim handed over the tournament flag to the Selangor contingent, during the ceremony at the State Secretariat Building in Shah Alam.
