Though hosting the games would incur a high cost, former National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Dr Ramlan Abdul Aziz feels an investment of £100 million (about RM601 million) from the CGF to support the plan would ease the financial burden of the host country.
“If we study carefully, there is no big risk involved, especially with the injection of funds from the CGF,” he told Bernama.
“We will not progress if we are always looking for an easy path or are cautious in accepting challenges because any country can only move forward if it is ready to take risks by weighing the positive factors.
“Therefore, the youth and sports ministry must study all aspects before preparing and submitting a working paper to the Cabinet for consideration and a decision.”
The fate of the 2026 games hangs in the balance after the Australian state of Victoria decided to withdraw as the host last July, citing the high cost for organising the event, estimated at between A$2.6 billion (RM8.09 billion) and A$7 billion (about RM21.78 billion).
The Victorian government has reportedly agreed to pay A$380 million for breaching the contract to host the games, scheduled from March 17 to 29, 2026.
Ramlan said Malaysia could focus on upgrading existing competition venues, transportation facilities, and allowances for officials and staff involved.
He said Malaysia would not have to fork out too much since the competing nations would be paying for their participation, including accommodation, food and flights as well as allowances for their officials.
With about two years remaining, he said, Malaysia need not worry about the quality of organising a spectacular sporting event.
He said the country has officials who are highly qualified and experienced in hosting major sporting competitions.
“I myself was involved as a medical officer in the 2023 Hockey World Cup in India, 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games in China, and 2023 Junior Hockey World Cup here.
“We are all aware that there are many Malaysian officials who hold high-profile positions in international sports organisations. Therefore, there should not be any problem in management, technical expertise, and preparation of officials,” he said.
Ramlan said the situation was different when Malaysia hosted the 1998 Commonwealth Games because many new sporting venues had to be built, and athletes had to start from scratch in sports like lawn bowls and rhythmic gymnastics.
In a statement today, the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) said discussions were being held with the youth and sports ministry on the possibility of hosting the 2026 games following the official invitation to OCM by the CGF.
OCM president Norza Zakaria said the government must consider the “once-in-a lifetime” opportunity to host the games, and the financial assistance offered by the CGF.
He said a positive decision would help Malaysia continue the legacy of having organised the 1998 Commonwealth Games successfully “and claim a spot among the elite sporting nations of the world”.
On Saturday, youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh said the Cabinet would make a decision on whether Malaysia is interested in hosting the games or not.