As the cabinet meets today and decides whether Malaysia should host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, Datuk Ahmad Bakri Shabdin, who played a key role in the staging of the 1998 edition in Kuala Lumpur, has spoken out against the event.
The former Sports Ministry secretary-general said the present circumstances do not favour Malaysia in hosting the expensive quadrennial multi-sports Games.
Malaysia has been invited by the Commonwealth Games Federation to come in as a replacement host after the Australian state of Victoria pulled out due to escalating costs. Two years earlier, the Birmingham City Council reportedly went bankrupt after playing host.
Ahmad Bakri stressed that the two-year period for Malaysia to prepare for the 2026 Games' hosting job is just too short.
"I was involved in hosting the 1998 Commonwealth Games. We had to prepare for a lot of things, which included building venues, facilities, accommodation for athletes and logistics. Back then, the bill came up to RM1.8 billion.
"Just building facilities is not enough, you need to get the relevant world sports bodies to certify the venues for competition. This is a process that can take time.
"As we host the Games, we need to prepare our athletes to win the medals. Back then, we won 10 gold medals and at that time we had the Jaya 98 programme which started in 1994 to create world-class athletes."
Ahmad Bakri also pointed out that the sentiments of Malaysians have changed as they now view the Commonwealth Games as a symbol of British colonialism.
"Back in 1998, Malaysia was a developing country, and hosting the Commonwealth Games became a platform to show the world that we are a modern country. We could afford to spend funds to host the Games, and we managed to host a successful Games.
"However, the scenario is different now. The economy is not good, and hosting an expensive Games could affect the country's economy.
"On top of that, the sentiments of the people have changed. They see the Commonwealth Games as a symbol of British colonialism, and they are not happy with it.
"There are just too many things that are not right for Malaysia to host the Games in the next two years. I personally feel we should not host the Games in 2026."