KUALA LUMPUR − The Union Network International-Malaysia Labour Centre (UNI-MLC) has asked the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) to review its decision to drop athletes from national programmes and readjust athletes’ allowances.
Its president Datuk Mohamed Shafie BP Mammal said UNI-MLC, which is shocked by the move, is worried that it would have a profound negative impact on the country’s athletes development programmes and sports in the long run.
According to him − as a body for employees − UNI-MLC found that the action to reduce allowances caused the remuneration received by national athletes to be lower than the minimum salary of RM1,200 set by the government − placing them in the B40 (lower income) bracket if the athletes had no other sources of income.
“We need to understand that even if athletes only receive an allowance, the period they are in training is a form of career that needs to be treated and cared for and given attention with respect and dignity,” he said in a statement here today.
Shafie stressed that sports is an area that requires large, long-term investment and management to produce champions at the national, regional and global levels.
It was reported that the National Sports Council (NSC) has dropped 144 national athletes as well as readjusted athletes’ monthly allowances for this year following budget cuts to the agency under the KBS.
According to the readjustment, SEA Games and Asean Para Games gold medallists will receive an allowance of RM2,000, silver and bronze medallists RM800 while RM800 will be allocated for elite athletes and RM500 for back-up athletes in NSC programmes but did not win medals.
Meanwhile, training allowances for athletes who won Asian/Asian Para Games and Commonwealth Games medals remained the same with gold winners receiving an allowance of RM4,500 followed by RM4,000 (for silver) and RM3,500 (bronze).
Allowance of RM7,500 awaits Olympic/Paralympic Games gold winners followed by RM7,000 (silver) and RM6,000 (bronze). – Bernama, January 12, 2022
