KUALA LUMPUR: For the first time, athletes from the 1960s through to the early 2000s have gathered at the Royal Selangor Club in Bukit Kiara to make their voices heard, calling for clarity, accountability, and systemic reform in Malaysian athletics.
The coalition, known as Reform in Sport and Excellence (RISE), is spearheaded by hurdler Hamdi Jaafar; Datuk Noorul Ariffin Abdul Majeed former National Athletes Welfare Foundation chairman; double-international Lieutenant-Commander (Rtd) S. Karunakarer; heptathlon queen-turned Sports Commissioner Datuk Zaiton Othman; and former hurdler Noraseela Khalid, now president of the Malaysia Olympians Association.
They have gathered as questions remain over Datuk Karim Ibrahim’s eligibility to be Malaysia Athletics president, following his 2018 suspension by World Athletics, then known as the International Association of Athletics Federations.
Although the decision was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the duration and scope of the suspension remain unclear, while Karim has denied claims that he was banned for life.
RISE stressed that meaningful reform must go beyond leadership disputes, focusing instead on governance, oversight, and accountability.
Positioning themselves as a bridge rather than a wedge, the group stressed that they hold no personal grudges against any officials but are seeking a revamp of the sport’s structure to help restore a golden era.
Hamdi, who has long advocated for improved sports governance, clarified that RISE is not about apportioning blame.
“RISE is a platform built on the philosophy of helping rather than taking sides,” said Hamdi.
“Some people have asked why I am raising my voice now. The answer is that I have been questioning and raising issues for many years, but I did so quietly. Unfortunately, nothing has come out of it. I have written five papers over the years, but they are collecting dust.”
He added that RISE will organise a forum later this year that will present a study by a local university, analysing medal trends since the 1960s and identifying events where Malaysia has the strongest prospects at multi-sport competitions.
“This research has been available for years. It analysed medals won since the 1960s and the events where we have a strong chance of success. Why has no one studied and used it to prepare our athletes?” he asked.
While RISE’s roots lie in the current crisis facing Malaysia Athletics, its members emphasised that their ambitions extend beyond a single sport.
“The initiative is not just for athletics. Other national bodies also face issues – hockey and football, for example,” said Zaiton.
“They can be part of RISE.”
The group highlighted the need for reform across the entire ecosystem of Malaysian athletics, including addressing structural weaknesses from the grassroots level, ineffective leadership at both council and state levels, and the need for a realistic and actionable reform plan.
Karunakarer and Noraseela said it was time for Malaysia Athletics to return to its roots of being athlete-centric.
“The most important people are the athletes, not the administrators,” said Karunakarer.
Noraseela agreed.
“We need to take care of our athletes. We hope to be their voice, moving forward,” she added.