By: Zaidul Khair bin Jungkim
KOTA KINABALU: Oct 12, 2026 – Sabah FC has donated a framed, signed match jersey and a match ball to Persatuan Sokongan Penjagaan Sabah (PSPS) to be auctioned at the VIVA! Carefest Gala Dinner on Nov 6.
The gala dinner at ITCC Penampang will also mark PSPS’s public launch. Proceeds will go towards accredited training, a career pathway and recognition for carers.
PSPS President Maria Kinson said the partnership reflects shared goals between the club and the NGO.
“Sabah FC develops young players. We develop young carers. And both of us answer to the same people: the older Sabahans who have cheered from the stands for decades and who now need someone skilled beside them. That is why this partnership makes sense. Youth and seniors, both together, is the heart of the story.” she said.
Sabah FC Director Datuk TPr. Alijus Haji Sipil said the club’s supporters have stood by the team for decades, making the partnership a way of giving back.
“Our supporters have stood by us for decades; supporting PSPS is our way of standing by them – from the young to the old,” he said. “This partnership is about taking care of the people who have taken care of us.”
PSPS was founded by former family carers. Malaysia is expected to become an “aged nation” by 2030, with warnings about the issue dating back to 1995. The career pathway for carers has yet to be built, PSPS said.
Kinson said Sabah FC’s donation was not just a statement of support.
“It is easy to talk about supporting carers. Sabah FC has put something real behind it: an actual jersey, at an actual auction, raising actual funds for the people who look after Sabah’s seniors.
“One day each of us may be the carer, and one day each of us may need one. Sabah FC has understood that. We hope others will follow,” she said.
PSPS committee member and Gala Dinner organiser Dr Julia Ongkili said the signed jersey is unique and cannot be purchased in stores, sending a strong message about community organisations working together.
“We are excited to offer the jersey and the match ball at the auction. It sends a real message about how community organisations can come together, and that is what the Gala Dinner is all about,” she said.
The Gala Dinner, PSPS’s first public event, carries the theme “LIVE FULLY. LOVE DEEPLY. TOGETHER.” and features performances by Evergreen Unlimited, Rayner Pailus and Muazzam Aman. Corporate and community tables are available at RM3,000 (Gold) and RM2,000 (Jade).
The dinner will be followed by the free-admission VIVA! Carefest Exhibition & Community Days on Nov 7-8 at ITCC Penampang.
PSPS is a Sabah-based NGO supporting carers’ welfare, training and career development. Sabah FC, known as The Rhinos, plays at Likas Stadium and finished third in the Malaysia Super League from 2022 to 2024.
