SPORTS Commissioner, Suhardi Alias was today recognised and honoured for his years of dedication and contributions to the development of national sports.
He was conferred with the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri (DSPN) which carries the title of 'Datuk' in conjunction with the 84th birthday of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Tun Ramli Ngah Talib.
In accepting the award, he said he was very honoured and that the award would motivate him to ensure a more efficient administration across the country's sports landscape.
“I am very honoured by this recognition. It is not just for me, but for all those who work tirelessly to bring Malaysian sports to greater heights," he said.
Suhardi, who has 32 years of experience in the field of sports management and science, began serving at the National Sports Council (MSN) on 1 April 1991.
Apart from serving as Deputy Director General (Sports Development Sector), Suhardi was also a member of the MSN Rating Committee with the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) in 2009.
In addition, he is also the chairman and pioneer of the National Sports Management Course as well as the one who drafted the National Sports Science Course, of which he is also an instructor.
Suhardi was also involved in the preparation of the National Sports Industry "Road Map" and the National Sports Vision 2030.
He had also on numerous occasions stressed that it is important for Malaysia to develop its own home-grown athletes rather than depend on the use of foreigners to deliver short-term results.
"If we want to see a more holistic development of Malaysian sports we have to have a long-term programme to develop our own athletes.
"When you develop your own athletes, you will get outstanding talents,” he had said.
"I wish to thank everyone for this award and will do my best to serve the public and support our athletes achieve excellence," added the former student from SK St Mark in Perai.
Other DSPN recipients include orthopaedic consultant Dr Goh Eng Tat, social activist K. Gunabalan, and Kwong Wah Yit Poh general manager Lee Hin Chan. Kwong Wah is the oldest Chinese-language newspaper in Penang. - July 30, 2025
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