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Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Minister, Hannah Yeoh, has shared that the government plans to introduce new steps to support the safe development of esports in the country. During a parliamentary session, she explained how the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) will work with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to encourage esports in schools while ensuring that young players are guided responsibly.
Yeoh highlighted that parental involvement is very important. She emphasized that esports should be introduced in a balanced way, where passion for gaming does not interfere with education and healthy routines.
Starting next year, schools will receive support when allowing students to participate in esports competitions organized by external agencies. These events may also count toward students’ co-curricular activity scores. However, only certain game titles will be approved. Yeoh stated that support will be given only to esports tournaments that use game titles approved by the official game title assessment committee.
Esports on the Rise in Malaysia
Esports has been growing quickly in Malaysia. MPL Malaysia, a major Mobile Legends league, reached a peak viewership of 870,000 in its last season. There have also been talks of launching a franchised league system in the country, similar to the leagues in Indonesia and the Philippines.
New Bill to Prevent Corruption in Esports
Yeoh also shared that KBS plans to introduce amendments to the Sports Development Act. These updates would give more power to the Sports Commissioner to prevent corruption and match-fixing in esports.
Earlier in 2025, the esports scene in Singapore faced a match-fixing scandal involving the team Everlasting Luv. Malaysia wants to avoid a similar issue. Yeoh explained that the National Sports Council and several esports organizations have contributed to creating guidelines for fair and safe esports development.
Esports Growth Across Asia
Malaysia’s approach follows a broader trend in Asia. Earlier this year, India passed a law to promote esports while banning online gambling. The Indian government stated that the aim is to grow esports as a competitive industry without encouraging betting.
Prime Minister Modi said that gaming can be positive, but gambling must be controlled to protect young people. Yeoh expressed a similar stance, noting that Malaysia wants to encourage esports without allowing harmful behavior to spread.
Online Gambling Remains Restricted
Online gambling remains illegal in Malaysia, although many users still access offshore betting sites. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has blocked over 15,000 gambling-related URLs since 2022. Cyber-cafés running unauthorized betting systems are also regularly shut down.
Conclusion
Malaysia is moving toward supporting esports in a structured and responsible way. With planned cooperation between KBS and MOE, updated legal safeguards, and a focus on protecting students, the government aims to grow esports as a positive industry. The goal is clear: support the future of competitive gaming while ensuring young players remain safe and guided.
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