Former youth and sports minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu urged his successor Hannah Yeoh to quit blaming “political instability” for the country's poor showing at the Cambodia SEA Games 2023.
The Bersatu leader was referring to Yeoh's remark on how national athletes could not continue their training after the budget for the Podium athletes' training programme 2021 was excluded in Budget 2022 following a change of administration.
"I deny Yeoh’s remark that the Podium programme was discontinued due to political instability and would like to explain.
"Budget 2022 was presented soon after I was appointed youth and sports minister, and at that time, no funds were allocated for the Podium programme.
"However, details on the programme were not presented in Budget 2022 (tabled in October 2021), but the budget was reinstated in early 2022,” Faizal said in a statement on Facebook today.
“This was after the Youth and Sports Ministry submitted a cabinet paper to apply for the funds," he added.
Following the application, a total of RM240 million was approved for the programme between 2022 and 2025, he said.
"I disagree with political instability being used as an excuse. I hope the youth and sports minister will stop using the same reason all the time.
"We will always support any move that helps improve the performance of local athletes and develop the country's sporting industry," he added.
Malaysia only managed a seventh-place finish in the recently concluded SEA Games with 34 gold, 45 silver, and 97 bronze.
It was the nation’s worst performance in the history of the biennial multi-sport Games since 1959 and failed to achieve the target of a 40-37-64 medal tally.
Vietnam retained the title of overall champion with a 136-105-118 medal tally haul, while hosts Cambodia recorded its best showing with a fourth-place finish of 81-74-127. - Mkini
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