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MACC raids homes of 2 cycling officials in Kuching

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) has seized documents related to the organisation of cycling events at the just concluded Malaysia Games.

It is learnt that MACC officials raided the homes of two cycling officials in Kuching on Monday.

A source revealed that one of the homes raided was also used as the office of the sports body.

The raid was said to be part of an investigation following allegations that had gone viral on social media.

The local cycling community has been outraged over the poor organisation of the cycling events during the biennial multisports Malaysia Games which ended in Kuching on Sunday.

Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) deputy president Datuk Naim Mohamad said he had been informed of the raid, but had yet to find out details.

“I was informed about it this morning, but we have yet to be furnished with details.

“Since it is an investigation, we should allow the process to take its course.”

Sarawak Cycling Association (SCA) president Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah declined to comment.

“No, I don’t want to comment on this matter as until such time (it is) appropriate,” he said in a WhatsApp message yesterday.

The Malaysian Games cycling events came under heavy criticism over shoddy, cheaply assembled props and allegations concerning the construction of a new BMX track in Bukit Siol in Kuching.

Several MNFC commissaires have made it known that the BMX track, said to have been built with an allocation of RM1 million from the Sarawak government, was not up to the required standard.

The public uproar began when the cycling community shared pictures of the shoddy props on social media, including a start-and-finish gantry erected haphazardly with scaffolding poles at the track events.

Several state government officials expressed shock over the shoddy organisation of cycling events, as at least RM1.9 million had been allocated to the sport for the Games.

MNCF vice president Amrun Misnoh, who was the chief technical delegate for the Malaysia Games cycling events, was quoted by the New Straits Times as saying that he had sighted invoices related to expenditure for the Games, which amounted to about RM900,000.

However, no official statement has confirmed the exact figure allocated for the event.

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