KUALA LUMPUR: The government will continue to champion the development of e-sports in the country, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak assured the nation’s youth after launching the second edition of the Malaysia Cyber Games at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here on Sunday.
Najib said that to ensure the continued growth and development of talents to represent the country, e-sports will require a governing body, supported by the government, which will bring together and nurture exceptional gamers nationwide.
Towards that end, the government will support calls to recognise the Malaysia Cyber Games as the governing body for e-sports in the country, the prime minister said.
"This is timely, since this year, e-sports will be part of the Asian Games in Indonesia.
“This shows that e-sports is being recognised as a subculture that has garnered the interest of the youth," Najib added.
Also present at the launch were Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak and Suara Anak Muda 1Malaysia (SAMM) president Datuk Armand Azha Abu Hanifah.
The Malaysia Cyber Games is a national-level competition which features nine video game contests, and which attracts over 500 competitors from across the country who vie for the RM300,000 prize money.
In his speech, Armand said that the Games’ organisers are planning to make the next edition an even larger affair by turning it into an international event.