KUALA LUMPUR: Sports critic Sadek Mustaffa has welcomed the government's decision not to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia.
Sadek said the decision will definitely improve the image of the government as they have put the people's needs first.
"The government has listened to the public and decided not to host the Commonwealth Games. This will earn them goodwill from the rakyat," said the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sports Science and Recreation senior lecturer.
"This should be a start for Malaysia to restructure sports in the country and work on being a powerhouse for the future. Not hosting the Commonwealth Games doesn't mean that it's the end of Malaysian sports."
"We should use the situation to improve and move forward. We should have a long-term plan to produce Olympic gold medallists and world champions in the next 10 years."
The Youth and Sports Ministry, in a statement today, said that the government felt the offer of £100 million (RM603 million) from the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) wouldn't be sufficient to cover the entire costs of hosting such a large-scale sporting event. They also expressed concern that the economic impact could not be determined in the short term.
The government also wants to focus on sports development as well as the welfare and well-being of the people.
There has been a public outcry about Malaysia hosting the Commonwealth Games due to the current economic situation and a lack of quality athletes capable of excelling in the Games.
The Australian city of Victoria, which was scheduled to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, withdrew last year, citing escalating costs expected to reach up to A$7 billion (RM21.7 billion).
It has reportedly agreed to pay A$380 million (RM1.1 billion) to the Commonwealth Games Federation for breach of contract.
The Birmingham City Council, which hosted the 2022 games, went bankrupt, with costs reported reaching £778 million (RM4.67 billion).
Reportedly, Malaysia incurred a loss of RM11.6 million when hosting the 1998 Commonwealth Games, and its accounts have yet to be closed.