The youth and sports minister is from Subang Jaya

JANUARY 5 — If this was an isolated occurrence, the electronic pitchforks of cybertroopers would have been on full meme. The primary allegation in this scenario, a covert and nefarious action to overturn our creed and core make-up through “evil” democratic machination. Damn you, democracy! With your foul notions of fair and egalitarianism.

Fortunately, this happened in a political storm.

The formation of an unprecedented post-election coalition of all hues to run federal government last November, offered the perfect cover for the appointment of Hannah Yeoh as youth and sports minister.

Our reviled hacks had to split up their attention, and more than 150 per cent of the attention on who’d be prime minister.

Ten days later, PM Anwar Ibrahim’s names a full Cabinet when Perikatan Nasional (PN) fans were still intent to summon celestial forces to intervene on their behalf.

Attention was split further in 28 different ministerial ways and the naming of the first female urban ethnic Chinese MP from DAP to run the youth agenda of the Anwar administration fell under the radar of cultural outrage. She did not need a baju kurung to seem inconspicuous this time around.

Anwar’s natural gobble of attention — good, bad and the nasty — camouflaged Yeoh’s appointment to a historic place. Without fanfare, without trouble.

Whether this is a master-stroke by the prime minister or an afterthought since there are so many interests to be entertained, time will unravel.

Why such interest in one of the least funded ministries? The real money game is with the PM’s department, the home ministry or the RM100 odd billion from a RM380 billion budget collectively to health and education.

In comparison, youth and sports got RM615 million in 2021.

However, the poor cousin to all ministries has two distinct advantages. First, Malaysians tacitly comprehend youth and sports and are not weighed down by technicalities — the rakyat feels unimpaired to yak about it. Oh, we were rubbish at the SEA Games!

Second, its minister is the most visible after the prime minister and his deputies. At times, probably more than the PM himself.

The Asean Football Federation (AFF) semi-finals (January 7 at Bukit Jalil and the return leg at Bangkok on January 10) with Harimau Malaya against Thailand, guess who’ll be there at the main box while RTM telecasts it “LIVE” to Gua Chempedak and Kuala Nerus? Hey, did the minister walk over to the Ultra Malaya gathering site outside Thammasat Stadium and sing Ekor Harimau Sejati with our fans? Wow.

Now, does the ministry’s potential tantalise?

Hannah Yeoh of Subang Jaya is set to be a household name, quickly outstripping her 10 years as Selangor assemblyman — half of them as first female Speaker of the legislative assembly — and two years as deputy minister at the women’s ministry.

Question being celebrated or universally derided? The column will return to that later in this administration.

For now, to capture the ministry’s influence and the implications of a choice against tradition is on the cards.

The ministry of least money

Rarely recollected is the fact our first prime minister also held the youth and sports portfolio. Four of the last five prime ministers were prior youth and sports ministers. Khairy Jamaluddin built much of his broad appeal, helming the ministry for five years (2013-2018).

It is an excellent place to be known for success.

The youth portfolio offers the minister first dibs to comment on any development pertaining to young Malaysians. And with more than 60 per cent below 35, the minister has a locus standi to weigh in on numerous developments. Everything has a youth dimension.

Immediately the minister has a say on any of the sports organisations in the country especially in the election of office bearers. It's a massive role.

Our sports range from football and badminton with millions of ardent followers, to indoor hockey and handball with parents and family members funding or running their near-penury associations.

The minister’s assistance is sought constantly by all, and sports has highly invested individuals, it is as grassroots as it gets. The minister’s contributions get around, especially if she can draw in commercial support.

The youth organisations — Malaysian Youth Council and others like Belia4B, ABIM, GPMS — are a bit more fraught. Often, they are political conduits rather than youth-driven. Which explains the exceedingly mature age average for leadership positions.

They have to avoid school holidays for activities because office bearers have children and teenagers of their own. It would be fabulous if the minister could drop the age average by 10 years. So it’s the children and teenagers who operate youth organisations and not their parents.

Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh speaks to the media after clocking in at the Ministry of Sports Malaysia in Putrajaya December 6, 2022. ― Picture by Hari Anggara

Minister Yeoh, as a symbol

This is not to build up or tear down the Segambut MP but to allude to the value of her ascension to said position.

Azalina Othman Said was the first female minister for the portfolio, briefly and she is still Umno. In fact, the founding head of Puteri Umno. It was never a chance she’d rock the boat.

Yeoh’s disadvantages on the surface — race, urban background and DAP — if tweaked right can turn the antagonism on its head.

It’s an opportunity.

Not that the party is unaware of how to grab hold of chances.

Since 2008, DAP has been on the charm offensive. They’ve literally taken to heart the advice from former US president Theodore Roosevelt, “Speak softly, and carry a big stick.”

In the early years of the Selangor government, they had to present themselves constantly as the back-up to PKR regardless of their seat count in the Pakatan majority. The fear of a DAP/Chinese overrun washed away over time, as the party focussed to show value without crowding the stage.

In 2013 it challenged the assumption Johor was an impregnable Umno fortress. DAP has stayed strong for three elections in Johor, this is not cyclical, DAP has arrived in the south.

During the first Pakatan federal government, DAP faltered a bit. While Anthony Loke made strides in the transport portfolio, the secretary-general Lim Guan Eng stumbled continuously on the PR front.

Loke presented outputs and Guan Eng did not fail the ministry but he remonstrated too often and side-lined civil servants.

Fortuitously for DAP, the people remembered the good rather than the bad. KTMB’s staff union asked Loke to return as transport minister once the government was formed.

All of which arrives at the newest path for DAP in government, to engage all youths. It’s a phenomenal chance to cement the normalisation of DAP in government, especially if Yeoh delivers.

She has the assurance of time as Anwar has carved a very stable government. She can see out some of her measures.

She also benefits oddly from the ministry having less money. Because the whole ministry spends less time gloating about how to carve out the little money and is forced to find ways to assist by building networks and goodwill.

Those at KBS (Kementerian Belia dan Sukan) would be keener to hear her ideas out. Even in opposition, they’ll give her time. It’s up to her — despite the expected resistance — to flourish rather than flame out like the Hindenburg.

The advice would be to improve on what there is rather than trying to recreate or initiate.

SEA Games begins in four months. Malaysia finished a disappointing fifth in the last edition. The elusive search for an Olympic gold continues, and it’s 18 months to Paris 2024.

There is an inexhaustive list of tasks to do and all of them relate to the rakyat, that’s the beauty of that ministry.

Over to you, Hannah! This is the time to help a generation find its voice. And if she does, the possibilities, oh the possibilities!

*This is the personal opinion of the columnist.