Rm42 5m For Food Service But Athletes Allowance Reduced

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A PKR lawmaker has pointed out that the Youth and Sports Ministry allocated RM42.5 million for cooked food service supply under 2022 Budget despite it reducing allowances for athletes citing budgetary limitations.
In a statement yesterday, Rawang state assemblyperson Chua Wei Kiat said the Youth and Sports Training Institute was given RM42.5 million for cooked food supply service.
"It is such hypocrisy for minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu to drop athletes citing budgetary limitations but secretly the ministry has a food supply contract worth RM42.5 million," he said.
Faizal had said the ministry needs to fork out RM40 million if it continued with its original plan of hiring the athletes, said Chua.
"The welfare of athletes become a major issue under PN's administration. No attention is paid to several of the sport development programmes and outstanding athletes were dropped," he said.

He slammed the minister for failing to make good use of the public funds and focusing only on unimportant matters instead of sports and athletes.
The cooked food supply service was a new allocation under Budget 2022. It did not exist the previous year.
Malaysiakini has contacted Faizal's office for comment.
On Dec 18, 2021, Faizal said the ministry planned to secure RM40 million in funding to continue with athletes' preparation programmes similar to the discontinued Podium Programme for 2022.
It was previously reported that 144 national athletes were dropped due to a lack of budget. The National Sports Council, chaired by Faizal later clarified the actual number was 253.
Among those dropped were national diver and 2017 world champion Cheong Jun Hoong, who as a result decided to retire from the sport entirely.
The move has prompted several high-profile athletes to announce their retirement as well.
National hurdler Rayzam Shah Wan Sofian also revealed that his monthly allowance had been slashed from RM2,000 to RM800.
The NSC’s move was criticised by athletes like national squash player Low Wee Wern and the National Silat Federation.
On Jan 10, Faizal was reportedly 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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