KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s sports industry’s top brass have slammed newly minted Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim over his latest comment on corruption within the old sports associations in the fraternity.
Adam added that despite having many world-class athletes, only a few have managed to bring home gold medals at international championships, which he described as an indirect consequence of corruption.
Speaking to The Vibes, Malaysia National Cycling Federation vice-president Datuk Amarjit Singh said that it was uncalled for to make such a sweeping statement against sports associations without presenting any data and evidence “as though the sporting industry is very corrupted”.
“Yes, in general, it is good that corruption should not be supported…but to make an open statement like this, unless he has evidence and data for him to justify what he is saying, it is uncalled for,” he said.
Amarjit cited the 2016 embezzlement scandal involving over RM100 million, linked to the then youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s officer.
“They should look into the ministry itself instead. Look into your own house before you start going at sports associations. It is a premature statement.”
Amarjit suggested that Adam should also engage with stakeholders in the sporting industry so that he can understand what sports associations are doing.
‘Lack of funding behind dismal gold medal tally from international events’
Echoing Amarjit, Malaysia Hockey Confederation president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said corruption did not cause a lack of gold medals from international meets – rather, it is the lack of funding from the government.
“Rather than assuming the old sports associations are corrupted, the first thing the sports authorities, especially the sports minister and deputy minister, should be doing is to look into engaging with the sports associations and find out what their biggest issue is, which I think is funding.
“I agree with Adam that we do have many world-class athletes, but in regards to not earning many gold medals in international events, I do not think corruption has anything to do with it.
“Like hockey, or even a lot of other sports associations, the president or council members took out our own money to help out.
“When you compare Malaysia with other world teams that have produced world-class athletes, it is all because they have enough funding and the associations do not have to go out to look for them.”
Subahan, who is also the PJ City FC president, added that it is the government’s obligation to help obtain enough funding so the sports associations have enough resources to get the best technology and the best trainers to help produce world-class athletes.
‘Fix leakages within your ministry’
Meanwhile, Malaysian Karate Federation secretary-general Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad told The Vibes that the problem is related to the paymasters: National Sports Council (NSC) and the ministry.
“He (Adam) should ask if NSC is being handled properly first before talking about the sports associations.
“It is unfair for the deputy minister to say such things.
“We (sports associations) request for a budget from the NSC and the ministry to send our athletes to competitions, but sometimes we do not get full funding and need to dig into our associations’ coffers to make sure the athletes compete.
“I believe that the deputy sports minister has not been briefed properly, or maybe he is being told the wrong things.
“Why does he not meet us (sports associations) so that we can properly brief him on this matter?” said Azmi.
In the meantime, Olympic Council of Malaysia president Tan Sri Mohd Norza Zakaria blasted Adam, asking the latter to retract his statement.
“Unfair for volunteers and ex-athletes who give their life to the associations. He needs to look at leakages in his own ministry.
“He is still talking like the opposition. He is a young person, so I suggest that he go down to the ground and get his hands dirty to know more about Malaysian sports.
“Does he know that sometimes we spend our own money? Talk is cheap,” Norza told The Vibes when contacted.
Adam, who is Hang Tuah Jaya MP, made the comments at this first press conference after officially reporting for duty at the Youth and Sports Ministry building here today. – The Vibes, December 12, 2022
