Speaking at the soft launch ceremony of the Asean Sports Alternative Dispute Resolution Forum, Yeoh stressed the importance of having a structured and efficient mechanism to address disputes.

She cited a case from the previous Paralympic Games where two para-athletes were left in limbo while waiting for a selection decision.

“The goal of the youth and sports ministry is to ensure disputes concerning athletes are resolved in a transparent and speedy manner. Time is of the essence,” she said.

Yeoh said the current process allowed athletes to bring their grievances to the ministry’s sports dispute committee (SDC). If still dissatisfied, they can appeal to the minister.

However, she said she would prefer not to intervene as the SDC undergoes a rigorous process before making decisions.

“With AIAC now available as an alternative, I hope that more stakeholders will be informed of this option.

“We have to put AIAC brochures at the ministry’s counters so that when people come and file a complaint at the SDC, they can straight away be referred to AIAC,” she said.

Meanwhile, law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said AIAC’s role extends beyond sports as it was established to handle a wide range of disputes, including commercial matters.

However, she clarified that AIAC does not handle political disputes.

Azalina added that AIAC is expanding its presence beyond the peninsula, with efforts under way to establish a foothold in Sabah and Sarawak.

She also highlighted the upcoming Asean Sports Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Forum 2025, which aims to bring together athletes and experts from across the region to foster a unified vision for the sports industry in the region.