KUALA LUMPUR – The Youth and Sports Ministry will review the Olympic Council of Malaysia’s (OCM) application to move to a new location in Kuala Lumpur Sports City (KLSC), Bukit Jalil.
Minister Hannah Yeoh, who paid a visit to Wisma OCM in Jalan Hang Jebat here, has agreed to the plan after seeing the condition of the facility herself.
She said the next move would be to obtain feedback from several agencies.
“We need to look at the available plot of land and then the development model, funds involved, and approval from the cabinet.
“Before we present the paper to the cabinet, we need to make other necessary preparations like obtaining feedback from relevant agencies such as the land office,” she said at a press conference after her visit.
Hannah said she was briefed on the transfer application from OCM president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria on March 3.
She added that the existing building has worked well in the past 30 years, but may not be suitable for OCM’s role in the future.
“We need to modernise our sport and start with the infrastructure. Then we can modernise our administration in sports in line with OCM.
“If we have better coordination, we could develop our sports better,” she said.
Meanwhile, Norza said the lease status of Wisma OCM land will expire in 2077.
OCM has identified 2.69 acres of land in the KLSC area for the construction of the new OCM building, or Olympic House, through the land exchange method with the cooperation of the developer.
“We need a new Olympic House, which will be in Bukit Jalil.
“We do not wish to use the government’s allocation. If we ask for help from the ministry, it will only be for land ownership in the Bukit Jalil area.
“We also think that it is time to bring modernisation into our administration and the way we look at sports.
“We are following in the footsteps of the parent body, International Olympic Committee, in Lausanne, Switzerland, where they have built a new facility that is environmentally sustainable,” he said.
Norza said the current OCM facility is like an old museum, and is no longer ideal for access by stakeholders such as athletes, sports associations, and staff members due to the ongoing development of Merdeka 118 Tower across the street.
He said Wisma OCM was built in 1991 because it was close to the national stadium, Merdeka Stadium, and Maba Stadium. – The Vibes, March 29, 2023
