KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malaysia Athletics and Selangor Athletics Association (SAA) president Datuk SM Muthu (main image), says he is hopeful his disputed lifetime ban from the sport will be lifted after what he described as a “fruitful” meeting with Sports Commissioner Arrifin Ghani today.
Muthu, along with five other former Selangor AA officials – K. Pregash, R. Murugan, G. Mohan, Mohd Fauzi Nanivanan Abdullah and S. Gunaseelan – met Arrifin in Bukit Jalil to present their side of the controversy surrounding the ban imposed on them last July.
“All we are asking for is a fair hearing,” said Muthu.
“Arrifin was willing to listen to our side of the story and promised to look into the matter. We know we won’t get that from Selangor because there are too many discrepancies and questionable reasons given for banning us.”
The six were handed lifetime bans on July 16, 2025, after Selangor AA’s disciplinary committee found them guilty of breaching several provisions of the association’s constitution. The decision followed a disciplinary meeting held in mid-June.
Selangor AA vice-president and disciplinary committee chairman A. Varughese confirmed the sanctions, saying the officials were punished under Articles 13.5, 13.6 and 13.7 of the constitution. They were given 14 days to appeal but chose not to do so.
Varughese said the bans were subsequently endorsed by the association’s council. He also claimed that some of the six were partly responsible for Selangor AA’s deregistration in 2022, when the association was declared inactive.
However, Muthu said the group did not appeal because they did not recognise the authority of the disciplinary committee, particularly after he and representatives from six affiliates proposed a vote of no confidence in SAA president Nurhayati Karim.
“We don’t recognise their authority. That’s why I wrote to the Sports Dispute Committee,” said Muthu.
The six affiliates – Petaling, Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat, Sepang, Klang and Hulu Selangor – representing two-thirds of Selangor AA affiliates, have also questioned the legality of the association’s annual general meeting (AGM) held on April 26, 2025 and alleged financial irregularities in its audited accounts.
Among the issues raised were discrepancies in affiliate fee collections for 2024, a payment of RM15,560 allegedly approved without executive council consent, and claims that audited accounts were only made available on the day of the AGM instead of 30 days earlier as required by the constitution.
The affiliates also criticised restrictions on delegate representation and said promises made by Nurhayati at the AGM – including a follow-up meeting within 14 days – were not honoured.
Tensions escalated on June 12, when the six attempted to submit their own list of Selangor AA nominees for the Malaysia Athletics AGM at Wisma OCM. They were denied recognition, leading to a commotion that resulted in police statements being recorded from four individuals.
The group maintains they are the rightful representatives of Selangor AA following an emergency general meeting (EGM) on June 9, which declared the April 26 AGM null and void. Muthu chaired the EGM and subsequently wrote to the Sports Commissioner’s Office and the Sports Dispute Committee, which said it would respond within 30 days.
Muthu said he is optimistic that the intervention of the Sports Commissioner’s Office could lead to an impartial review of the case and potentially a path back into the sport.
