Sarawak’s silent sacrifice: Sports bodies cover costs, even doping tests and national representation

Wee during his ShallWeeTalk live on Facebook on July 13, 2024.

By Karen Bong

KUCHING, July 13: For decades, Sarawak’s sports associations or bodies have shouldered the financial burdens of travel, accommodations, and even doping tests to send athletes to tournaments and games in Peninsula Malaysia, even when representing the nation.

Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng highlighted the reality of hardships faced by Sarawak as he expressed surprise that some individuals have the audacity to request Sarawak for travel assistance to participate in the upcoming Sukma Games 2024, which Sarawak will host in August.

“Our Sarawak Minister (of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah) has encapsulated the ‘silent’ suffering that Sarawak (including Sabah) has been facing throughout the years,” he said during his ShallWeeTalk live today.

His remarks followed Abdul Karim’s response to Kedah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s request for Sarawak to cover part of the travel costs for Kedah’s contingent to the Sukma Games 2024.

Yesterday (July 12), Abdul Karim, who characterised Muhamad Sanusi’s request as a jest, highlighted that Sarawak and Sabah have long endured high expenses and silently shouldered the burden of ‘flying’ to Peninsular Malaysia for national-level competitions.

As the president of the Amateur Swimming Association of Sarawak (Asas) and Sarawak Bodybuilding Association (SBBA), Wee shared that local sports bodies have all these while ‘clenched their teeth’ to fork out the expenses for sending athletes to competitions in Peninsular Malaysia, even when they are representing Malaysia.

“Every time we send a team to participate in competitions outside Sarawak, do you know how much we have to bear for air tickets and accommodations? We cannot drive there. All these costs are covered by local bodies.

“Moreover, whenever we sent teams to represent Malaysia (in competitions outside the country), we also had to cover the travel costs from Kuching to Peninsula Malaysia when it is only right for the national level to bear the cost of sending a team from Sarawak representing Malaysia, but this is the reality.

“We also have to pay for athletes’ doping tests for bodybuilding competitions,” he revealed.

Wee admitted that the associations had requested assistance in the past but received none.

Despite this, he emphasised that local sports bodies strive to raise funds to send Sarawak teams because they recognise the athletes as their pride, representing not just the associations but Sarawak.

“No matter what, we will do our best to raise the funds to send them so that they have opportunities to showcase their talents, polished from years of training and discipline,” he said.

Wee, however, pointed out that this matter has also highlighted the need for policies to be reviewed to ensure that Sarawak, Sabah and other states in Malaysia receive the support necessary when it comes to representing the nation in sports.

“I think some approaches may be outdated so there is a need for improvement for the betterment of the sports sector in Malaysia,” he added. — DayakDaily