KUALA LUMPUR: The controversy surrounding Datuk Karim Ibrahim’s eligibility to serve as Malaysia Athletics (MA) president has taken a fresh turn, with Sports Commissioner Arrifin Ghani seeking formal clarification from World Athletics (WA).
Arrifin confirmed he has written to the global governing body to determine whether Karim is eligible to continue holding office amid conflicting claims regarding his status. The move follows reports of a letter sent by World Athletics to Malaysia Athletics in January.
Arrifin noted that the existence of the letter was not raised during his recent discussions with MA.
“Now that it is established that there is a letter from World Athletics, my office will also write to MA to inquire about its contents,” Arrifin said.
“I have written to World Athletics to seek clarification on Karim’s status, specifically to determine his eligibility to hold the Malaysia Athletics presidency. I understand that World Athletics president Lord Sebastian Coe is currently away, so a response may take some time.”
The contents of the WA letter, which were presented to the executive council only last week, allegedly state that Karim remains ineligible following his 2018 suspension by the then-International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
That decision, which deemed him unfit to hold office as a council member, was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in 2019. The IAAF has since been renamed World Athletics.
Several council members allegedly voiced concerns during the meeting, questioning why the national body waited nearly three months to disclose the letter. Members also expressed dissatisfaction that deputy president Datuk Wan Hisham Wan Salleh had not distributed the document.
Karim has denied claims of a lifetime ban, insisting such assertions are inaccurate. However, the development adds to the growing turmoil within the national federation, which is currently grappling with governance concerns and potential legal challenges.
Karim returned as president last June, defeating Datuk Wira Mark Ling 25-14 after the incumbent, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, withdrew from the contest hours before the election. His return was facilitated by an amendment to the MA constitution last year, which limited suspensions to five years. This provision enabled his return and subsequent election victory.
Earlier this week, six officials from the Selangor Athletics Association—Datuk S.M. Muthu, K. Pregash, R. Murugan, G. Mohan, Mohd Fauzi Nanivanan Abdullah, and S. Gunaseelan— were planning legal action against the state association that could affect the national body. The group received lifetime bans in July for allegedly breaching the state body’s constitution.
Muthu indicated that the legal challenge would not only contest the bans but also question the legitimacy of the Malaysia Athletics Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in June. He claimed that Selangor delegates who attended the AGM did so without proper council approval, a factor he argues could potentially invalidate the election outcome.
Twentytwo13 reached out to Wan Hisham for comment.
