When Public Funds Vanish Into Shadows Of Sports

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Back in March 2008, a whistleblower handed me 16 pages detailing how more than RM10 million was extravagantly spent on a self-indulgent event disguised as a “Women in Sports” carnival.
The documents exposed the lavish spending by an outfit called the Women’s Sports and Fitness Foundation Malaysia, which had received RM9.72 million from the National Sports Council (NSC) and another RM1.5 million from the Youth and Sports Ministry.
Among the major expenses:
RM2.1 million in grants.
ADSRM2.1 million for meals and accommodation.
RM932,000 for media and advertising.
RM852,000 for equipment rental.
RM1.4 million classified as “entertainment,” which included flying in aerobic dancers from Australia for the opening ceremony.
Then-youth and sports minister Azalina Othman Said, who is now law minister, distanced herself from the issue, claiming she was merely a patron who “just cuts ribbons.”
She insisted she had no involvement in the foundation’s management or funding. But if Azalina did not approve the disbursement of taxpayer money, who did? Who signed off on the spending?
Before that, at a packed media conference to announce the launch of the Champions Youth Cup in 2007, I posed a series of questions to Azalina to justify spending RM17 million on a football tournament that brought no benefits to the country or the development of sports.
The PR people took the microphone from me because I was asking difficult questions, like the misuse of public funds.
Former youth and sports minister Azalina Othman SaidThe following year, RM4 million belonging to the Malaysian Paralympic Council (MPC) - the national body for disabled sports - vanished.
The funds were “invested” through Paralimpik Ventures Sdn Bhd, a company owned by then-president Zainal Abidin and his family.
He was eventually removed from his position, but the damage had already been done.
ADSWhither the KPIs?
Fast forward to last year: the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) received a windfall - RM15 million from the government and RM5 million from the private sector.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim clarified that the RM15 million was specifically for the Harimau Malaya team - not for the association itself. It was meant to support the manager, coaches, and players.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh later added that the allocation came with conditions: FAM was required to develop a plan and establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to improve the national squad’s performance.
One year on, there is no sign of the KPI, and no transparency about how the money was spent. Silence prevails.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah YeohRight to demand accountability
Let me be clear: This money came from taxpayers - not from Anwar’s personal funds. We have every right to demand accountability.
Yet, while the Madani government preaches integrity, transparency, and accountability, the recipients of public funds seem to operate in a different reality.
FAM, for example, behaves like a private enterprise. Even a simple query about Malaysia’s allocation of World Cup tickets for Qatar 2022 was met with resistance and stonewalling.
For three months, I sought answers from FAM secretary-general Noor Azman Rahman:
How many tickets were allocated to FAM?
Were they made available to Malaysian fans?
Was there a public announcement or transparent process?
Despite initial promises to respond, Azman went silent.
This culture of secrecy among sports bodies reeks of something rotten.
The recent resignation of the FAM president under unclear circumstances, coupled with unpaid salaries by state affiliates, only deepens the crisis.
Perhaps the most shocking revelation is the non-payment of financial rewards - some outstanding for over 50 years.
Free Malaysia Today reported that former national athletes who brought glory to Malaysia are still waiting for the prize money promised decades ago.
Ordinary citizens, including journalists, are not privy to the financial workings of these registered bodies.
A small inner circle decides how money is spent, sanctions payments, and approves them in closed-door meetings.
Questions are brushed aside with the dismissive claim that “auditors have reviewed the accounts.”
How can taxpayers know how much sports officials – who are supposed to be volunteers - are paid? Many honest and dedicated officials did not receive a sen and even spent their money in the execution of their duties.
According to a report in the New Straits Times, former FAM president Hamidin Amin received a monthly salary of RM90,000.
He did not deny it, stating that the FAM congress had approved the arrangement before he took office. But that the congress is a closed-door affair, attended only by affiliates, is a moot point.
Former FAM president Hamidin AminWhat an irony: players go unpaid, while officials continue to collect generous benefits.
What is the solution?
So, what is the solution? All organisations receiving funds from the government must submit the income and expenditure statements for taxpayers’ scrutiny.
Impossible? Difficult? Not anymore. Now, such details can be put on the website for all to see. If there is a likelihood of misuse, the relevant authorities can be alerted.
Will the government, especially the sports ministry, make this a precondition for the release of funds? It should adopt a no-transparency, no-money policy.
Where is the KPI, FAM? How much of the RM15 million have you spent and for what purposes? I do not expect the association to respond, but for Yeoh to make it mandatory.
In a note on assuming office in 2022, Yeoh said: “In my 100 days KPI, one of the things listed would be (that) all allocations sought must be published on the ministry’s website.”
It will begin with the national budget allocations for the ministry. Sports associations applying for funds, she said, must be subject to the same scrutiny, too.
Thank you, YB, but I cannot see anything on the FAM website.
Are the officials defying you, or do they consider themselves “untouchable” because they have the ears of the prime minister? - Mkini
R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist who tries to live up to the ethos of civil rights leader John Lewis: “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” Comments: [email protected]
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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