KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia Athletics (MA) president Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim has strongly denied allegations that he threatened national discus thrower Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin, insisting the athlete has always been one of his favourites in the sport.
At a press conference today, Shahidan said he was deeply hurt by the claims and even took a religious oath to emphasise his innocence.
He believes a “third party” may be trying to drive a wedge between them ahead of MA’s annual general meeting (AGM) this Sunday.
“Wallahi, wabillahi, watallahi, I never said anything like what has been alleged. Irfan is one of my favourite athletes,” said Shahidan, who is seeking re-election.
“I forgive him. Maybe there’s a third party stirring things up. I’d rather confront those who ‘throw stones and hide their hands’, not the athlete himself.”
Earlier today, Irfan alleged that he had been subjected to intimidation from MA’s top brass between June 1 and 3, including repeated phone calls from Shahidan, which he claimed amounted to pressure over his public statements following his bronze medal win at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea.
Shahidan, however, said the only reason he met Irfan upon his return was to offer a personal reward to congratulate him on his achievement, not to issue threats.
“My intention was to give him a gift in recognition of his success. As someone who sees himself as a father figure in this sport, why would I threaten my own ‘son’?” he said.
Shahidan also urged all parties not to use athletes as pawns in the run-up to the leadership contest.
He hinted that the controversy surrounding Irfan might be part of a broader campaign to undermine him ahead of the vote, but said he was prepared to face whatever challenges come his way.
Separately, Shahidan also insisted that there was no problem in the nominations process, which closed at 5pm on Thursday.
Earlier, news portal TwentyTwo13 reported that several policemen were called to Wisma OCM following a commotion involving affiliates who were barred from submitting the names of delegates ahead of the AGM.
The MA AGM is expected to be a tense affair, with Shahidan set to be challenged in a four-corner fight for the top post.
The three others vying for the top post are Datuk Mark Ling (Negeri Sembilan), Datuk Wan Hisham Wan Salleh (Terengganu) and Datuk Karim Ibrahim (Perak). — June 13, 2025