KUALA LUMPUR — Outgoing Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) secretary-general Datuk Nazifuddin Najib has called on the country’s top leaders to be bold and decisive in reforming Malaysia’s grassroots sports system.
He said that only serious policy reform — not just increased funding — will transform Malaysia into a true sporting nation.
In his final press conference before stepping down on April 19, Nazifuddin said the country’s inability to develop talent from the ground up stemmed from outdated structures, weak physical education and poor sports awareness in schools, as well as a lack of political will.
“Are we ready to be brave? Like how the government once changed the education medium from English to Bahasa Malaysia — that kind of boldness is what we need,” said Nazifuddin, who joined the OCM as vice-president in 2015.
“Policy change doesn’t always need more money. It needs leaders to make the hard decisions.”
Nazifuddin, who became secretary-general in 2018, lamented how little had changed since his school days.
“We had PJ (Physical Education) with the same teacher who taught art. We changed into our sports clothes, played football — but there was no structure, no basics on how to be an athlete, no introduction to sports.”
The 41-year-old believes the current system relies too heavily on elite institutions like the National Sports Council (MSN) and sports schools, while neglecting the vast pool of talent in mainstream schools.
“Our pipeline is broken. You might get 100 students in a sports school, and 20 to 30% might make it. But what about the rest of the country? We don’t have a proper system to scout, train and retain them in the ecosystem.”
He urged the Education Ministry, Youth and Sports Ministry, Higher Education Ministry — and even the prime minister and deputy prime minister — to work together on a unified grassroots sports blueprint.
“This needs a complete revamp. A holistic plan. Start with policy. Make sports more than just two PJ periods a week. Introduce basic exposure to athletics and swimming in all schools. That doesn’t take millions — just a change in mindset and planning.”
Drawing on his experience studying in the United Kingdom, Nazifuddin said the difference in attitude was stark.
“In the UK, if sports take half a day, they make time for it. In Malaysia, just getting two periods of PJ is a challenge. That’s our problem.”
He also raised concerns about the lack of sports infrastructure in many urban schools, especially swimming facilities.
“Most schools don’t even have access to a pool — even private ones. So how do we expect to produce swimmers if kids can’t even learn to swim?”
Nazifuddin added that the drop-off after Form Five was another critical failure point.
“We see athletes disappear from the system after school. There’s no continuity. We need a structure where they stay in the system until they can’t compete anymore.”
He pointed to successful sports like cycling, where Malaysia’s Olympic-level talent was developed abroad.
“They trained for years in Australia, not here. That says everything.”
Nazifuddin said Malaysia must stop relying solely on elite athletes to deliver at the Asian or Olympic level and instead rebuild from the base.
“If we just hope SEA Games-level athletes will suddenly perform at the Olympics — that’s not realistic.”
He welcomed the working committee under Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, which is focusing on 20 core sports, but said far more was needed.
“Let’s get experts, media, ex-athletes — form a real think tank. We need big ideas, not patchwork solutions.”
After a decade with the OCM, Nazifuddin said he was stepping aside to make way for new faces.
“In sports, people tend to stay in positions a long time — my predecessor (Datuk Sieh Kok Chi) was there for almost 30 years. I’ve learnt a lot. Who knows, maybe I’ll come back someday.”
But for now, he leaves with a clear message: “If we don’t act now, if we don’t dare to change — there’s no hope.”— April 17, 2025