KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s long-serving high jumper Norliyana Kamaruddin will represent athletes within Malaysia Athletics following a key amendment to the national body’s constitution.
At last Saturday’s annual general meeting, the executive council agreed to grant athletes direct voting rights for the first time in the federation’s history.
Acting Malaysia Athletics president Datuk Wan Hisham Wan Salleh said the decision was aimed at making the federation more transparent and giving athletes a stronger voice.
Asked who would serve as the athletes’ representative, Wan Hisham said: “The criteria is that the person must be an active athlete, as we want to know what their concerns are and what we can do to help them.
“We want an active athlete rather than a former athlete because this person will be in the system and understand the ins and outs.
“For now, that person is Norliyana, as she is part of the Olympic Council of Malaysia’s Athletes’ Commission. She is already in a leadership role, so we are happy to accept her.”
Norliyana, 35, has competed in various regional meets. She won the recent Malaysia Open high jump title after clearing 1.75m. The Negeri Sembilan athlete has also represented the country in the heptathlon.
Wan Hisham said Malaysia Athletics did not want to be involved in selecting the athletes’ representative because “we want it to be independent”.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the announcement that the Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM) will serve as the official preliminary selection event for the marathon at the 2027 SEA Games.
Malaysia has won only bronze medals in the SEA Games marathon, but Malaysia Athletics hopes its collaboration with Dirigo Events, the rights holder and organiser of the KLSCM, will better prepare national athletes for the 2027 Games in Kuala Lumpur.
The announcement was made at Wisma OCM, where the agreement was signed by Wan Hisham and Dirigo Events director and KLSCM project director Rainer Biemans.
Also present as witnesses were Olympic Council of Malaysia chief executive officer Fong Wan Hor and National Sports Council athlete division director Zaim Yusof.
Malaysia Athletics is adopting a more proactive, athlete-first approach to national team preparations, giving athletes greater clarity and more time to prepare and improve their medal prospects for the 2027 SEA Games.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Malaysia Athletics and Dirigo Events covers several areas of cooperation, including a more structured athlete development programme, greater race exposure at regional and international level, access to facilities and sports science services through the National Sports Institute, and collaborative coaching programmes. Both parties will meet again to finalise the details of the agreement.
“Malaysia has marathon talent that can be further nurtured, and we are exploring more structured and better-planned pathways to help our athletes reach the next level. We also look forward to discovering new talent with strong potential along the way,” said Wan Hisham.
“At Malaysia Athletics, we are committed to increasing the presence of Malaysian marathon athletes on the international stage and supporting them in their pursuit of excellence. We recognise their effort, determination and grit, and hope to further strengthen their year-round training with clearly defined goals that support their development and performance,” he added.
KLSCM is the first and only road race in Malaysia to hold a World Athletics Elite Label. The 2026 edition will be held on Oct 3 and 4 and is expected to attract participants from across Malaysia and more than 70 countries, including marathon runners from neighbouring SEA Games nations.
“We are very honoured that KLSCM has been selected as the official preliminary selection event. This is a significant milestone for Malaysian athletics and one that aligns with our organisation’s mission and objectives. Dirigo Events has always been committed to raising the standards of distance running in Malaysia and delivering world-class events that give Malaysian runners the opportunity to shine,” said Biemans.
“We are excited to work hand in hand with Malaysia Athletics to help the country stand proud as host of the 2027 SEA Games. This marks the first step in what we hope will be a long-term collaboration to strengthen athlete development and ensure the sustainable growth of the sport and the wider industry,” he added.
Image: National Sports Council
