KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 13 ― The main role of the Sports Commissioner’s Office is to regulate, not enforce, said Sports Commissioner of Malaysia Datuk Zaiton Othman in the wake of a recent event involving the office.

Zaiton said it has to be kept in mind that the spirit of the Sports Development Act is to encourage sports development in the country, and is not punitive in nature, as stated clearly in the Act.

Referring to the mishap during the Klang City International Marathon on Sunday which left three runners injured, one seriously, Zaiton said it is clearly stated in the Section 36 of the Act that  organisations which organise sporting activities need to apply for a licence from the Sports Commissioner’s Office prior to the event.

"We have a mechanism that is dual-functioned in nature ― one that is preventive and one that is corrective. With the current Act in place, we have seen sporting events and activities thrive around the country, there are thousands of events that take place annually across the country, and our high-performance sporting achievements for the most part have never been better.

"The Sports Commissioner’s Office functions to receive these applications and we will ensure they comply with a checklist of other permits, as what is readily available on our website. This approval is important… the incident in Klang shows the importance of licensing events of this nature.

"Per  Section  34  of  the  Sports  Development  Act,  this sanctioning  ensures  the  health  and  safety  measures  for  participants,  officials  and spectators,  the  standards  and  qualifications  for  all  participants  and  officials  as  well  as ensuring  that they are in accordance with the recognised rules and guidelines of all international governing and regulatory bodies for the particular sport in all matters,” she said in statement, tonight.

She further said that her office cannot be expected to have the technical expertise to evaluate all the 50 sports defined under the Act, while the Youth and Sports Ministry could not interfere in the technical standards and international rules, as the national sports associations are bound by international federations such as Fifa.

Meanwhile, Zaiton urged the public to report any unsanctioned event to the Sports Commissioner’s Office to help the office identify errant organisers who are merely "out to make a quick buck”, while disregarding the health and safety as well as the standard and qualifications of all participants.

"The list of approved sporting events is out on the ministry’s website and will be updated regularly. The Sports Commissioner’s Office has  been  in  extensive  consultation with various stakeholders since 2014 to amend the Sports Development Act in line with best practices internationally.

"It includes the Sports Advisory Panel, Olympic Council of Malaysia, the National Sports Council, the National Sports Institute, National Sports Associations, local government agencies, major event organisers, and public enforcers including MACC, police, RELA (People’s Volunteer Corps), and JPAM (Civil Defence Force),” she said.

 Zaiton added that with the new amendments to the Act in progress, the punishment for errant organisers would be heavy, with a minimum retention fee of RM10,000 or 5 per cent of the sanction fee to reimburse participants of the event for all international events.

"This is on top of any legal action the Sports Commissioner’s Office will take against irresponsible event organisers. The penalty for companies that infringe the Sports Development Act will also be raised from RM5,000 to RM500,000 with these amendments,” she said. ― Bernama