KUCHING: Sarawak Sports and Youth Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Hamzah has called for "a little reform" in how events categorised as "national sports" are dropped at the biennial Sukma Games.
Karim suggested that the federal sports minister be empowered with veto power to prevent a national sport from being dropped as an event in the Games under the current six-states rule.
If fewer than six states participate in that sport, it would be scrapped.
Karim pointed out that this fate befell women's diving at the Games.
Women's diving was not held in the last edition of the Games in 2022, which the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur hosted due to the rule.
He blamed religious conservatives in PAS-ruled states - Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and Perlis - that do not allow female athletes to wear swimsuits, as dealing a setback to the sport.
"Firstly, don't expect them to be sending female divers to the Sukma. Secondly, these states are highly unlikely to advance the sport of women diving," he said.
In addition to religious conservatism, he said some states joined the list of non-participants as they do not have diving pools and other facilities to train their divers.
"Understandably, states compete to win medals."
Karim said if women's diving keeps getting dropped from Sukma, how does Malaysia expect athletes (women divers) to be produced when this national sport is not held?
The country would be losing out if this event is regularly excluded from the biennial Games, he added.
"Athletes need competitions, lots of them, to stay competitive."
Karim said if his federal counterpart is given veto power, then some of the so-called national sports could be spared the axe even if only two states participate in the event.
"That event should proceed for the sake of the sport. If we want continuation, we must have the reform."
On Sarawak's search for the next Pandelela Rinong, Karim said the state currently has a pool of 15 athletes to sift through.
He said seven of them are currently training with the national aquatic squad in the peninsula.