As sports associations in Malaysia return to normalcy, all eyes are on the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) election next year.
There have been conversations of a new line-up. Some also wondered if the current office bearers would have been voted in had OCM conducted its elections after the 14th general election in 2018.
OCM’s affiliates voted on May 5 that year. Four days later, Barisan Nasional was booted out of Putrajaya.
OCM president Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria, who won unopposed in 2018, hopes he will be given the mandate to continue for another term.
“There are still many things I hope to achieve for OCM,” said Norza, who replaced long-serving president Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar.
“Although the Olympics is postponed to next year due to Covid-19, we are likely to continue with OCM’s elections.
“The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has given all National Olympic Councils (NOCs) flexibility in the election cycle (because of the postponement of the Olympics) but I think we will go ahead as planned,” added Norza, who is also BA of Malaysia president.
Separately, Norza said he would address the “controversy” over the formation of a task force to review OCM’s constitution. The proposed amendments include reducing a member’s votes from three to one and empowering the board to determine the membership of OCM.
The task force members are OCM deputy president Datuk Seri Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi, Dr S.S. Cheema (chairman of OCM’s medical and anti-doping committee), Jadadish Chandra (Malaysian Hockey Confederation vice-president and OCM legal committee head), Melvin Chia (Malaysian Snooker and Billiards Federation president), Lesley Lim (Dragon Boat athlete and lawyer) and Tunku Imran (adviser).
Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia president Nik Razeen Daud wtote to OCM executive council members, claiming the conduct of the task force was against the Olympic ideals of integrity, transparency, and governance.
“We will discuss it in detail during our council meeting (tomorrow),” said Norza.
Norza added the Olympic hotel would reopen soon – two years after it closed. Johor Bahru-based Vinters Hotel Sdn Bhd will manage and maintain the hotel on Jalan Hang Jebat.
The hotel, owned by OCM, started operations in September 1991 after two years of construction.
