KUALA LUMPUR – National athletes participating in the Podium Programme will begin receiving a monthly minimum salary of RM1,500 next week, the Youth and Sports Ministry announced today.
Minister Hannah Yeoh said that the decision to replace the previous minimum allowances of RM800 with salaries aims to enhance the financial security of athletes.
Additionally, the ministry, through the National Sports Council (NSC), will contribute to the athletes’ Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
Hannah added that the implementation is set to begin next week when they sign their contracts for the Podium Programme.
This decision was reached during the 23rd NSC board meeting in December of last year.
“I have communicated this message to all athletes and coaches, and the significant improvements will commence next week when they sign their contracts to be in the Podium Programme.
“A total of 393 athletes, including those who will sign contracts with NSC, will benefit from this initiative, which includes EPF contributions requested by the athletes.
“The contribution consists of 11% from the athletes and 13% from NSC. The cost of this salary initiative will be approximately RM16 million per year for NSC.
“Most importantly, we want our athletes to be financially secure,” said Hannah at the 2024 Sports Ministry Mandate Council in Bukit Jalil today.
Through this initiative, Hannah expects the athletes to consider themselves full-time employees and work hard towards securing Malaysia’s first gold medal at this year’s Paris Olympics.
While monthly salary requests for backup and young athletes have been received, the implementation will initially be for Podium Programme athletes.
The ministry also expressed its intention to review the rates for coaches to create a well-rounded ecosystem.
As the 2024 Paris Olympics approaches, scheduled from July 26 to August 11, NSC director-general Abdul Rashid Yaakub anticipates 25 to 30 athletes to qualify and compete, with the potential to exceed 50 if the national men’s hockey team qualifies after a 24-year hiatus.
The final qualifying chance for the hockey squad is scheduled in Muscat, Oman, from January 15 to 21.
Other sports, such as track cycling, badminton, and diving, have until April and May for qualification.
During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Malaysia, represented by 30 athletes, came home with a silver from track cyclist Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang (men’s keirin) and a bronze from Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in the men’s doubles (badminton). – January 11, 2024