Ministry boosts allocation for Esports Fund by RM500,000
PUTRAJAYA: The Youth and Sports Ministry, via Esports Integrated (ESI), is now accepting applications for the ministry's Esports Fund (DEK).
Allocations for the fund, which is in its third year now, has been increased to RM1.5 million this year, an increase of RM500,000 from last year.
The fund aims to support the expansion of Malaysia's esports ecosystem by providing financial backing for grassroots initiatives.
This includes the organisation of tournaments, talent development, digital content production and community-based programmes. Since its inception in 2023, the DEK has supported more than 80 initiatives nationwide.
Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim described the fund as a symbol of the government's confidence in the esports sector and its potential to contribute to national development.
"DEK is not merely a financial aid mechanism — it reflects our commitment to building a progressive, inclusive and competitive esports ecosystem," he said in a statement today (June 4).
"It aligns with our aim to democratise sports, including esports, through a whole-of-nation approach. We want to ensure that all industry players have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the growth of this sector."
The initiative is open to a wide spectrum of applicants, including community-based clubs, youth organisations, educational institutions, local event organisers and digital content creators.
To assist applicants, ESI will hold a series of engagement sessions offering guidance on proposal writing and funding requirements.
These sessions will also include question-and-answer segments and are open to all relevant stakeholders. Dates and venues for the sessions will be announced in the coming weeks.
Applications for DEK must be submitted online between June 4-July 31, with successful applicants to be announced on Aug 28. All funded programmes must be implemented between September and November this year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
11 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Bus drivers struggle on RM700 basic pay, rely on overtime
KUALA LUMPUR: With a basic salary as low as RM700 a month, or sometimes none, bus drivers depend heavily on travel allowances and overtime, often sacrificing their days off just to cover living expenses. A 34-year-old tour bus driver, who only wished to be known as Mior, said he relied entirely on commissions and the distance travelled, based on his customers' requests. "My basic salary is only RM700 a month. I receive a 15 per cent commission for each bus rental, while the remaining 85 per cent goes to the employer or tour bus owner. "If I take on many long-distance trips, I can earn up to RM3,000 to RM4,000 a month, with only five or six days off. "But if I take on shorter trips, I earn around RM2,000. "Based on last year's records, the fewest days off I had in a month was three," he said when contacted. Mior earns about RM400 for a trip from Parit to Seri Iskandar, Johor. A journey from Seri Iskandar to Kuala Lumpur, including sightseeing with his passengers, brings in about RM1,800. With a 15 per cent commission per rental, he pockets an additional RM60 for the first trip and RM270 for the latter. However, a 29-year-old bus driver, who only wished to be known as Mamat, claimed his company did not provide any basic salary. "For a trip from Manjung to Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS), I earn about RM50. I can make around RM100 a day for a return trip. "If I have four days off a month, I earn about RM2,600. If I work without any days off, I can make RM3,000," he said, adding that he still needed to apply for leave whenever necessary. He however said some express bus companies provide a basic salary of RM1,700, including travel allowances. Previously, Bumiputera Bus Operators Association (PPBBM) chairman Zainal Abidin Mehat said some companies allowed their drivers to work up to 28 days a month due to a shortage of drivers. He said the arrangement was mutually agreed upon by both the company and the drivers for their shared benefit. Zainal also said that bus drivers typically earn a basic salary of RM1,700 and have to rely on travel allowances and overtime to supplement their income.
The Sun
12 hours ago
- The Sun
UTM trio develops 24-hour self-service printing solution
JOHOR BAHRU: What began as a trivial issue - printing assignments outside regular hours - became the driving force behind an innovative venture by three Universiti Teknologi Malaysia students, who developed PrintTEX, a self-service kiosk offering round-the-clock printing access. Through their startup, Uninet Teknologi Enterprise, the trio from the Faculty of Computing and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering – Fikri Akmal Aizuddin Bahrim, 23, as Chief Executive Officer; Iqmal Aizat Mohd Zamri, 23, as Chief Technology Officer; and Low Lie Xin, 25, as Chief Operating Officer – began operating the kiosk in December 2023. Fikri Akmal Aizuddin, a final-year computer science student, said the kiosk is complemented by the PrintTEX mobile app, which offers on-demand printing services with rates as low as RM0.20 for black and white and RM0.45 for colour prints. 'The PrintTEX app comes with several handy features, such as users being able to find the nearest kiosk, upload documents and make payments online. 'Users just need to install the app, upload their documents, make a minimum payment of RM3, and then head to the kiosk to scan the QR code and print straight away,' he said when met by Bernama here.\ Fikri Akmal Aizuddin said they first developed a basic prototype or minimum viable product (MVP) in August 2023 using their own funds, which covered development costs, hardware such as printers, storage systems and other electronic components. He shared that with full support from the UTM Centre for Student Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship, his team successfully secured RM30,000 from the Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC) to assist with system development, documentation, and company registration. 'We developed the entire system ourselves, from the mobile app and integration platform to printer configuration and payment management. It took us around six months for the research and development and another month or two to build the first unit,' he said. Currently, two PrintTEX kiosks are available at the UTM Skudai campus – one in the 24-hour Study Room at the Sultanah Zanariah Library and another at Arked Lestari – while a third unit is operating outside Johor at UNISEL Bestari Jaya in Selangor. The company has also been approached by two higher education institutions under MARA that have expressed interest in allocating space for the installation of the Internet of Things (IoT)-based kiosk at their campuses.
The Sun
12 hours ago
- The Sun
PrintTEX: UTM trio develops 24-hour self-service printing solution
JOHOR BAHRU: What began as a trivial issue - printing assignments outside regular hours - became the driving force behind an innovative venture by three Universiti Teknologi Malaysia students, who developed PrintTEX, a self-service kiosk offering round-the-clock printing access. Through their startup, Uninet Teknologi Enterprise, the trio from the Faculty of Computing and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering – Fikri Akmal Aizuddin Bahrim, 23, as Chief Executive Officer; Iqmal Aizat Mohd Zamri, 23, as Chief Technology Officer; and Low Lie Xin, 25, as Chief Operating Officer – began operating the kiosk in December 2023. Fikri Akmal Aizuddin, a final-year computer science student, said the kiosk is complemented by the PrintTEX mobile app, which offers on-demand printing services with rates as low as RM0.20 for black and white and RM0.45 for colour prints. 'The PrintTEX app comes with several handy features, such as users being able to find the nearest kiosk, upload documents and make payments online. 'Users just need to install the app, upload their documents, make a minimum payment of RM3, and then head to the kiosk to scan the QR code and print straight away,' he said when met by Bernama here.\ Fikri Akmal Aizuddin said they first developed a basic prototype or minimum viable product (MVP) in August 2023 using their own funds, which covered development costs, hardware such as printers, storage systems and other electronic components. He shared that with full support from the UTM Centre for Student Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship, his team successfully secured RM30,000 from the Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC) to assist with system development, documentation, and company registration. 'We developed the entire system ourselves, from the mobile app and integration platform to printer configuration and payment management. It took us around six months for the research and development and another month or two to build the first unit,' he said. Currently, two PrintTEX kiosks are available at the UTM Skudai campus – one in the 24-hour Study Room at the Sultanah Zanariah Library and another at Arked Lestari – while a third unit is operating outside Johor at UNISEL Bestari Jaya in Selangor. The company has also been approached by two higher education institutions under MARA that have expressed interest in allocating space for the installation of the Internet of Things (IoT)-based kiosk at their campuses.
