Kuala lumpur: The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) plans to engage in discussions with the Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) to consider the possibility of introducing e-sports as a long-term academic course at tertiary institutions, according to Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, efforts to cultivate talent in the e-sports sector have already been initiated through short-term courses offered by the National Sports Association in collaboration with the National Youth and Sports Department. This move comes in the wake of the success of the Selangor Red Giants (SRG) in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang competitions, which has spurred interest in e-sports as a viable career path.

Minister Yeoh addressed growing concerns about gadget addiction in Malaysia, highlighting the need to balance this issue as interest in e-sports rises. She was responding to an interjection by Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden (PN-Alor Setar) during the debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) at the Dewan Rakyat.

A recent study by a lecturer from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) was cited by Yeoh, which identified a psychological gap among young people, particularly in terms of mental readiness. The study underscored the importance of ensuring that participation in e-sports does not detract from academic focus or social well-being.

Additionally, Minister Yeoh addressed questions regarding her ministry's efforts to align Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes with industry needs. She acknowledged ongoing challenges, such as equipping teachers with industry-relevant expertise, but noted that pilot projects are underway in sports fields, including motorsports and aviation sports, being developed with artificial intelligence.