I told Hannah Yeoh Malaysia should
not host 2026 Commonwealth Games....
General (Rtd) Tun Mohamed Hashim Mohd Ali said he told Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh that Malaysia should not host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Hashim, who was the former chairman of Sukom Ninety Eight Berhad (Sukom 98), also revealed that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had, in 1994, approved the company set up to organise the 1998 Commonwealth Games, but could not enjoy the multisport event after he was sacked from the government on Sept 2, and arrested by police on Sept 20, a day before the closing ceremony. The 1998 edition was from Sept 11-21.
Hashim also did not discount the possibility that the bid to host the 2026 Games was an “election gimmick”, as the 16th General Election could be held late 2026 or early 2027. “I met Hannah (Yeoh) late last year to discuss the staging of the 2027 SEA Games. We discussed many topics including the 2026 Commonwealth Games,” said Hashim, when met at his residence in Seri Kembangan, Selangor, yesterday.
“The Games (at that time) was without a host, and I told her Malaysia shouldn’t host it as two years is not enough time to put everything in place, and it will be too expensive. “Moreover, Malaysia is hosting the 2027 SEA Games. It is not wise to host back-to-back events.” However, neither Hashim nor his secretary could remember the exact date of the meeting.
On March 16, Anwar said the decision on whether or not Malaysia will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, could be finalised this week. Yeoh, earlier today, said the Cabinet will discuss the matter in detail on March 22.
“Do we want to host the Games for the sake of hosting it? The rakyat is struggling to put food on the table. Can we afford to spend money on the Games?” asked Hashim. “To me, the Commonwealth Games is not as relevant now as it was back in 1998. Since we are already committed to hosting the SEA Games, we should focus on that.”
Victoria, Australia was supposed to host the 2026 Games but it withdrew in July 2023 as the Games’ budget had skyrocketed to almost A$7 billion (RM21.69 billion) – double the anticipated economic benefits. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has since held talks with several countries about becoming the new host.
On March 11, the Olympic Council of Malaysia said that the CGF had offered the country the opportunity to replace Victoria, as host. CGF is offering £100 million (RM602 million) to support the local delivery and legacy planning. It will collect A$380 million (RM1.17 billion) from Victoria as a penalty for withdrawing as host.
Hashim was surprised that CGF only offered Malaysia an investment of £100 million. “Why can’t we get the full amount Victoria is paying if they want us to host the Games?” he asked. “We should also ask why the Australians turned down the job. Even if we get the RM1.17 billion penalty (imposed on Australia), can it cover the cost of hosting the Games in 2026?”
He added several cities had suffered economically after hosting the Commonwealth Games. Birmingham City Council, in England, became bankrupt after ignoring advice not to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Advisors warned that Birmingham did not have the financial capacity to host a significant international sporting event in 2022 and advised council managers to concentrate on the city’s budgetary issues.
Hashim added that besides Birmingham, New Delhi also faced a number of issues when it hosted the 2010 edition. Suresh Kalmadi, President of the Indian Olympic Association from 1996 to 2012, spent 10 months in jail – from April 2011 to January 2012 – on corruption charges related to his chairmanship of Delhi 2010. “So, as you can see, it is not easy hosting the Games,” he said.
Hashim felt that the 2026 Commonwealth Games could be an “election Games”. “I have a feeling the government wants to call for an election after the Games,” said Hashim. “But what happens if our athletes do not win as many gold medals (10) as they did in 1998? If you solve the rising cost of living, the chances of the people voting back the current government is higher.”
As for the 2027 SEA Games, Hashim said he told Yeoh that it would be wise for the government to form a company to run it. “Hannah is a hardworking minister who listens to people before making a decision,” he said. “I advised her to form a private company like Sukom Ninety Eight Bhd to run the 2027 SEA Games, as the government should not run the Games. It should be a company formed by the government. “Get a non-politician to be chairman, to run it, and follow the structure on how to raise money to fund the Games. That should be the way forward for all the events we want to host.”
He agreed with a suggestion that Malaysia should develop a handbook in organising major sports events. Hashim added if Malaysia wants to host another multisport event, it should consider the Asian Games in 2038. “That is 14 years away. The economy should be better by then and it would give us more time to prepare,” he said. - Graig Nunis
Meanwhile, General (Rtd) Tun Mohamed Hashim Mohd Ali claims Sukom Ninety Eight Bhd’s accounts should have been in the black. The only reason it showed a loss was because he was only given a month to close the books in 2004. The ex-chairman of Sukom Ninety Eight Bhd, the company formed to run the 1998 Commonwealth Games, added “millions of ringgit were still floating around” when he was ordered to close the company’s accounts.
Asked why he didn’t object, Hashim said he raised his concerns and pleaded for more time. “I was asked to close the books in 2004. When I said I needed six more months, I was told, ‘No, close it now’,” Hashim told Twentytwo13 at his residence in Seri Kembangan, Selangor, on March 17.
“I said ‘Look, we have millions (of ringgit) still floating around’. But the (then) Youth and Sports Ministry officials told me I had to close the books. I had a month to do so.” Hashim said if he had been granted the time he had asked for, Sukom 98 would have shown a profit.
In 2004, then Youth and Sports Minister, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, announced that Sukom Ninety Eight Berhad had finally closed its accounts, posting a loss of RM11.6 million.
However, in 2010, Sukom 98 executive chairman, Datuk Nik Mahmud Nik Yusuf, revealed that the company couldn’t close the accounts as they had pending court cases and required more time to settle its debts.
“There should have been a surplus, a profit, not a loss,” said Hashim, fondly known as Freddie. “But I don’t know where the money went.” Hashim said his plan, which he had put in writing, was for any surplus money or profit to be given to the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM). “But OCM didn’t get anything,” he lamented.
Hashim,is not in favour of Malaysia stepping in to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, said if the country were to go ahead with the idea, it has to do so without using taxpayers’ money. The Cabinet will decide on Friday if Malaysia should replace Victoria, Australia, as host of the 2026 edition. - Graig Nunis
Walaun bukan tahu apa...
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Walaun baca tajuk je kemain melompat. Aku tengok kat komen, tiba-tiba ramai puji YDP Agong. Padahal baru je keji secara berjemaah sebelum ni. Dia baca peruntukan, terus dia ingat peruntukan untuk ahli parlimen. Dasar walaun yang memang tak mahu baca sebelum komen. Tu yang tersasar.
YDP Agong cakap soal peruntukan pembangunan. Yang YDP Agong tekankan ialah agar setiap ibu negeri membangun secara saksama. Jadi tak adalah rakyat berterusan berhijrah dari desa ke kota.Tuanku tak sentuh pun pasal peruntukan ahli parlimen tu. Perasan je lebih walaun ni. Derhaka dengan Sultan lepas tu nak Sultan bela MP dia.
Kesian walaun. Bermatian dia perjuangkan peruntukan untuk MP dia. Dia ingat kalau MP dia dapat duit tu, dia boleh tumpang ke? Hahaha... Walaun cerita macam tak kenal lebai lagi pulak. - Raja Gelap II
Tanah rizab Melayu di Kedah lebih 100 tahun kini di tukar
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Terbaik dari Menteri Undang2 Azalina
sampai speaker pun konfius...
Tapi walaupun cakap PMX pi makan angin...
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cheers.
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