Nurhayati Karim ousted as Selangor Athletics president

 Ganesh Marathamutu wins by six votes as Nurhayati’s team suffers a near-total election defeat.

Nurhayati Karim’s defeat comes after years of upheaval within the state body. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR:

Nurhayati Karim has lost the Selangor Athletics Association (SAA) presidency, falling 15-9 to challenger Ganesh Marathamutu at its annual general meeting today.

Ganesh is the son of SM Muthu, the former SAA president who was ousted in 2021. Their family connection adds another chapter to the state body’s long-running leadership troubles.

Nurhayati’s team lost almost every contest, with former DAP leader Ong Kian Ming the sole exception. Ong won the deputy presidency unopposed.

Andre Subbas won vice-president (1), while Arunasalam Mookan Pillai took vice-president (2). Yagnish Nadarajah was elected secretary and Manimaran Sukumaran treasurer.

SAA has nine district associations, each entitled to three votes. Hulu Langat opted out of the election.

Nurhayati is also secretary-general of Malaysia Athletics (MA) and the daughter of Karim Ibrahim, who has taken a leave of absence from the national body’s presidency. The sports commissioner has yet to decide on Karim’s status.

She first won the presidency in December 2021. But the association’s registration was cancelled in April 2022 by then sports commissioner Ibrahim Yusof, following issues over Muthu’s exit from SAA.

Muthu had faced allegations that he misappropriated RM110,000 from the association’s fixed deposit account. He denied the accusation and maintained that he remained the rightful president.

Nurhayati returned to the post in 2024, winning unopposed.

SAA’s internal troubles continued last year. In June 2025, six officials — Muthu, K Pregash, R Murugan, G Mohan, Mohd Fauzi Nanivanan Abdullah and S Gunaseelan — received lifetime suspensions after voicing a vote of no confidence in Nurhayati’s leadership. - FMT