KUALA LUMPUR: Former Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja'afar has urged Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh to get a clearer picture of Malaysian sports before moving ahead with plans.
Tunku Imran today said it was important for Yeoh to get feedback from stakeholders instead of relying on input from government officials.
He said this after officiating a Sime Darby Foundation (SDF) event in Kuala Lumpur. Tunku Imran is the chairman of SDF.
"Hannah is no stranger to SDF. She has come to many of our events and has supported what we have done.
"I hope she will do well in sports. There is one thing that I think she has to do in the coming weeks (gain feedback).
"There are so many different sports at so many different levels of development. All of them will ask for money, but I think she has to look at the bigger picture in sports.
"Without sounding nasty or critical, I think it would be wise for her to not just listen to the government (side).
"It would be wise for her to consult as many people as possible, including the private sector and the media, before she moves forward with any major decision, which could be hard to reverse.
"I don't know what her background in sport is. I haven't heard of her being in any sport, but as with any sports minister, it is important for her to consult (stakeholders)."
Tunku Imran added he hoped to see more women athletes being developed.
Yeoh, a former deputy women, family and community development minister, is the second woman to be appointed as sports minister after Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (2004 to 2008).
Tunku Imran led the OCM for 20 years between 1998 and 2018, and is a former president of the Commonwealth Games Federation.