The Malaysian government announced this week that it plans to invest RM 320M ($74M USD) in sports and esports as part of the country’s 2025 budget (Malaysia Madani Budget 2025), according to a report in state-run news agency Bernama. The announcement was made by Malaysia Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and will allocate funding for the development of football programs in collaboration with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM); paralympics support; support for further development of cricket and badminton; and esports.
Around RM 20M ($4.63M) will be allocated specifically for supporting esports within the country, though specific details on what that would include were not disclosed. The funds will likely be used to foster growth in the local esports ecosystem by supporting grassroots efforts, building a national esports center, and training players and talent. How this money will be spent and by whom, is still under consideration.
Malaysia is an important international stop for esports, particularly the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, where major events for PUBG Mobile, Dota 2, and other major competitions have taken place in the past.
It is important to note that Malaysia is a parliamentary democracy (operating a Parliament which consists of a Senate and a House of Representatives), with a constitutional monarchy. The King, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar (who was crowned in January), serves as the head of state.
The state religion is Islam, and though other religions are practiced there, it is important to note that many regulations and rules on society are informed by Shariah Law.
According to watchdog group Human Dignity Trust, “Same-sex intimacy is prohibited under the Federal Penal Code 1936, which criminalizes acts of ‘carnal knowledge against the order of nature’ (sodomy) and ‘outrages on decency’ (gross indecency).”
Photo of New Royal Palace in Jalan Duta by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas/Wikipedia.