Pm Urged To Reverse Funding Cuts For Athletes

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The Youth and Sports Ministry continues to come under fire for controversially cutting funding for athletes and dropping 144 of them from its national training programmes.
The Union Network International-Malaysia Labour Centre (UNI-MLC) pointed out that the athletes needed funding to train, compete and advance in their professional careers.
Expressing concern over the “deep long term effects” of the cuts, it criticised the ministry for jeopardising athlete development as well as the country’s sporting performance.
UNI-MLC president Mohamed Shafie BP Mammal thus urged Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to intervene and reverse the decision.
“UNI-MLC wants the PM to give strict orders so that the ministry will review its move to cut athlete allowances and to drop athletes.
“The PM ought to reinstate sports development as a priority and not act in opposition to the goals of the 12th Malaysia Plan that was tabled last year,” he said in a strongly-worded statement. 
Elaborating, Shafie said the unions under his leadership refused to accept the ministry’s reasoning for the cuts.
“The ministry needs to review its decision to cut (funding) and drop athletes on grounds of insufficient funding.
“The excuse that funds will be used to help flood victims is completely unacceptable.
“Sports require long-term investment and management in order to produce champions at the national, regional and global stages,” he added.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri YaakobOnly RM244m allocated
Earlier this month, the National Sports Council (NSC) announced that it would stop financially supporting 144 of the existing 432 full-time professional athletes.
It cited budget cuts as the reason. Budget 2022 allocated just RM244 million to the sports sector.
Among those dropped were national diver and 2017 world champion Cheong Jun Hoong, who as result decided to retire from the sport entirely. 
The NSC’s move was criticised by athletes like national squash player Low Wee Wern and the National Silat Federation.
Instead of dropping athletes, former deputy youth and sports minister Steven Sim said political appointees and officials were the ones that should be dropped in light of budget cuts. 
On Monday (Jan 10), the New Straits Times reported Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu as saying that the ministry was not being mean but simply “spending within its means” amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. - Mkini

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