Hannah Advises NSAs To Resolve Disputes Internally Before Seeking JKPS Help

PUTRAJAYA, June 17 (Bernama) -- Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has urged national sports associations (NSAs) to resolve any internal disputes on their own before escalating matters to the Sports Dispute Committee (JKPS).

Hannah said that of the 75 cases received by JKPS last year, most could have been settled internally.

As such, she advised those holding positions within NSAs to understand all aspects of sports administration and legislation before bringing any disputes to the next level.

“So if you're going to take up a role as a sports administrator in your sports association, you need to get yourself and your committee just more informed about the processes so that one committee member doesn’t end up going to the Sports Commissioner’s Office, another to the minister’s office and another to meet the secretary-general of the Youth and Sports Ministry.

“This is the kind of merry-go-round that we are facing now with a lot of committee members not knowing where to go,” she told a press conference here today.

Hannah said that JKPS, established in 2023, has proposed that the National Sports Council set up a one-stop centre to help athletes seek clarification on any sports-related disputes.

She also announced that former Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) secretary-general Datuk Low Beng Choo has been reappointed as JKPS chairman for another two-year term, from May 1, 2025 to April 30, 2027.

She said JKPS has also retained lawyer Prof Dr Jady@Zaidi Hassim and appointed three new members, namely lawyer Datuk Rajasekaran Murugiah, former national cyclist and triathlete Kimbeley Yap-Chelliah, and former national equestrian star Mohd Qabil Ambak Mahamad Fathil.

She also extended her appreciation to three outgoing JKPS members – Malaysian National Cycling Federation president Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill, former Malaysian Hockey Confederation deputy president Prof Datuk Dr S. Shamala, and former national squash player Sharon Wee – for their service and commitment.

Meanwhile, Beng Choo said only 14 of the 75 cases received last year were officially referred to JKPS, with two cases having gone through the hearing process.

She said the two cases heard involved athlete selection for competitions and issues concerning the treatment of athletes during international events.

Among JKPS's functions are to hear and provide opinions on internal disputes referred by sports bodies, resolve complaints from any member of such bodies, and identify and recommend actions to settle such disputes.

-- BERNAMA