KUALA LUMPUR — The newly appointed Sports Dispute Committee (SDC) has issued a firm reminder to national sports associations (NSAs) to follow proper procedures when handling internal disputes — and not to bypass the process by rushing to the Sports Commissioner, Ministry officials or even the courts.
Speaking at the announcement of the new SDC line-up for the 2025–2027 term today, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh stressed that Section 27 of the Sports Development Act clearly outlines the role and responsibilities of the SDC — and associations must first exhaust all internal remedies before escalating their complaints.
“Too often, one committee member goes to the Sports Commissioner, another goes to the Minister’s office, and another to the KSU (Ministry secretary general). This creates confusion and chaos,” Hannah said.
“Sports administrators need to be more informed about the proper channels.”
Chairperson of the SDC Datuk Low Beng Choo said that while 75 complaints were received by the SDC last year, only a small number were actionable (14), as most had not gone through internal processes first.
“You don’t run to the Federal Court immediately — you start with the Magistrate’s Court. It’s the same here. Internal disputes must be settled internally before they can come to us,” she explained.
“We have no jurisdiction otherwise.”
Beng Choo also highlighted that the majority of cases involved athlete selection, constitutional amendments or AGM-related issues — disputes that, in most cases, could have been resolved through internal committees or mediation panels.
In response to a question on the Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) leadership dispute — now the subject of a court case — Beng Choo was unequivocal:
“The matter is sub judice. We cannot comment on anything, including whether appointments made by either party are legal or not.”
Earlier today, the MCA issued a statement naming two new appointments to its governance committees. However, with the legitimacy of its leadership still pending before the courts, the SDC maintained that no comment could be made.
“They chose to go to court, so we must respect the legal process. Once a matter is before the court, none of us — not even the Minister — can say anything. That is the law,” said Beng Choo.
Committee member Dr K. Nagulendran reinforced the point, stating that many office bearers were unaware of Act 576 — the Sports Development Act — which governs their roles.
“Not knowing the law is no excuse. If you want to lead a sports body, you must read your own constitution and the OCM’s (Olympic Council of Malaysia) too.”
The SDC also commented on the ongoing issue involving Malaysian athletics and complaints raised by national discus thrower Irfan Shamsuddin, as well as tensions in the Selangor Table Tennis Association.
In both cases, the committee reiterated that all internal mechanisms must be used first, including dispute resolution channels under the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) for its affiliates.
“You can’t come to us and say, ‘They won’t listen,’ unless you’ve made the effort and can show proof of referral. Only then can we step in,” said Beng Choo.
Separately, Hannah added that the Ministry was working on expanding capacity-building initiatives, including a proposed one-stop centre within the National Sports Council (MSN), to help athletes and associations navigate dispute processes without fear or confusion.
“We’re doing this to help associations help themselves. Because when the process breaks down, it’s the athletes who suffer,” said Hannah.
Also present at the press conference was Sports Commissioner Suhardi Alias.
The other new SDC committee members announced were lawyer and sports law expert Professor Dr Zaidi Hassim, Datuk M. Rajasekaran, lawyer and expert in sports administration, and two former national athletes, Kimberley Yap Chelliah (cycling and triathlon) and Mohd Qabil Ambak Mahamad Fathil (equestrian). – June 17, 2025