Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Razali Ibrahim said the government's efforts to build more courts for futsal and sepak takraw nationwide under the 10th Malaysia Plan may face the problem of acquiring sites in opposition-held states.

“This is because we need 0.2 hectares of land for each court, and there may be problems of site approval in these states," he told Bernama after opening the Kulim Bandar Baharu Umno Youth delegates meeting last night.

Nevertheless, he said, the government would continue to provide the allocation to build these courts, which could be used also for netball and basketball.

He said that so far, 1,178 of these courts had been built - two each in every state constituency - at a cost of more than RM1.7 billion under the 9th Malaysia Plan.

The provision of these courts would enable youths to engage in healthy recreational activities instead of unhealthy pursuits such as illegal motorcycle racing, he said.

- Bernama