Review Pesaka's aim in people's unity gathering on Sept 16 - Khairy

The Youth and Sport Ministry (KBS) will review the actual aim and objective of the Malaysian National Silat Federation (Pesaka) to participate in the People's Unity Gathering on Wednesday.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said it would not be an issue for Pesaka if the gathering was to be held to fete the spirit of unity in conjunction with Malaysia Day on Sept 16.

"If one notices, the objective of the gathering changes from day to day. So now it's a rally for the Malaysia day, for unity, so we have to check and see what the actual objective is.

"If the rally is for unity to celebrate Malaysia day, then there's no issue for Pesaka being the organiser, especially since silat is not just a sport, it's also part of our culture, part of Malaysian culture, so it goes beyond sports actually, but let me have a look at it properly," he said after opening a state-level 2015 Fit Malaysia programme at the Ipoh City Square, here, today.

Khairy said he would also meet Sport Commissioner Datuk Zaiton Othman to discuss the matter since a local newspaper had reported that the Olympic Council of Malaysia vice president Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Omardin, who is also Pesaka secretary-general, would be in the front line of the gathering at Padang Merbok.

Pesaka was registered under the Registrar of Societies (RoS) and the Sports Development Act 1997 to foster Malay culture and the sport.

Meanwhile, on the programme, he said 35,000 people attended, especially youth and took part in various healthy activities in conjunction with the launch of Fit Malaysia today.

"I thank the state government and Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir for helping the ministry to organise a very successful programme.

"We expected 15,000 people for the running and cycling events and another 20,000 more for other fitness activities. But the turn out shows Perak is among the fittest states and among the most active in sports.

"What is important in making this aspiration successful is the commitment of the state to develop sports for all, and not just the elite sports. To date, we have held Fit Malaysia nationwide except Penang and Selangor. We will hold it in Penang next week and Selangor after National Sports Day on Oct 10," he said.

Khairy who joined Zambry and the state exco lineup in the Fit Malaysia 30km hour-long cycling programme around Ipoh city at 7.30am, also handed over a mock cheque for RM1,476,500 to the state government for the state-level National Sports Day celebrations.