Kuala lumpur: The retention of the Sports Matching Grant and a 60 percent increase in allocation for the Rakan Muda Programme in Budget 2026 are seen as the government's commitment to developing national sports and empowering the youth. Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh expressed contentment, noting that the allocation of RM580 million to the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) reflects Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's confidence in the country's sports and youth development programmes.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Hannah Yeoh stated, "We (KBS) are happy that our wish has been fulfilled when the Sports Matching Grant is maintained, the Road To Gold programme has also received an increase of two million. That is RM12 million compared to RM10 million this year." She highlighted the significance of the allocation for the Rakan Muda programme, which has increased to RM40 million compared to RM25 million last year. This was shared with reporters after attending the National Sports Day 2025 (HSN2025) Opening Ceremony at Bulatan Sultan Azlan Shah.

The Prime Minister officiated the opening ceremony, which was also attended by Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar. When presenting the 2026 Budget, Anwar, who is also the Minister of Finance, announced an allocation of RM580 million for KBS.

Hannah elaborated that the allocation for the Rakan Muda Programme is to implement special programmes, including efforts to reduce unemployment among youth. She noted, "We have also identified many youth groups who are not fluent in English, so we will use the programme under 'Rakan Mahir additional allocation to complete our preparations and empower the youth."