PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Athletics (MA) will establish a special task force to investigate the longstanding issue of unpaid prize money owed to national athletics legends, following a recent report by Free Malaysia Today (FMT).
The task force, which will include representatives from the Youth and Sports Ministry and the National Sports Council (NSC), aims to verify the list of affected athletes, trace historical financial records, and determine the current equivalent value of the RM5,000 awards promised decades ago.
MA deputy president Datuk Wan Hisham Wan Salleh described the issue as a “deeply regrettable and unresolved chapter” in the country’s athletics history.
“I wish to express our profound respect for the athletes named in the report and offer our deepest, most sincere apologies that the promises made to them were not honoured,” he said in a statement today.
While the Malaysian Amateur Athletics Union (MAAU) was the governing body at the time, Wan Hisham said the current leadership acknowledges its moral responsibility to help rectify the injustice.
An FMT report yesterday revealed that at least 10 national athletes never received their RM5,000 prize money after being named Sportsman or Sportswoman of the Year between 1966 and 1982.
Among those affected are athletics legends Dr Mani Jegathesan, M. Rajamani, Junaidah Aman and V. Subramaniam — individuals whom MA said laid the foundation for Malaysian sports.
Wan Hisham said MA will personally reach out to each of the affected athletes and assign liaison officers to maintain communication. The body also plans to formally appeal to Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh and NSC director-general Jefri Ngadirin to advocate for the release of the funds.
He stressed that MA’s move is not an admission of legal liability but a demonstration of moral obligation to honour the contributions of Malaysia’s athletics icons.
“While we cannot undo the past, we can take responsibility by making things right. MA is committed to being a vocal and active advocate in this endeavour. We owe our legends nothing less,” he said.
Moving forward, MA will also conduct a comprehensive review of its internal policies to ensure future commitments to athletes are properly documented and fulfilled in a timely manner.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
