OCM endowment fund set to boost Malaysian sports
OCM president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria said Malaysian sports can no longer expect the government to fund sporting initiatives and must look for more support from the corporate sector.
OCM held their first executive council meeting for the 2025-2029 term in Bukit Kiara today (July 19).
"The executive council unanimously approved the proposal to establish a National Sports Endowment Fund to serve as a long-term investment platform," said Norza during a press conference here today.
"The fund will draw contributions from the private sector which includes corporations, foundations and individuals who wish to provide assistance to national sports associations, athletes and coaches.
"The fund is also to help sports that require hand-holding, sports which find it hard to secure sponsorship.
"But to attract these contributors, we need to provide them incentives (such as tax incentives). We will need to come up with these incentives and propose them to the government for approval.
"There must be clarity when it comes to incentives, only then will the private sector come. Without clarity, it will not be easy to entice them."
Norza added that the management of the fund will be free of political interference.
"The fund must be run by professionals and be free of political interference. We will have a board of trustees," said Norza.
"We hope to get this fund up and running by the end of the year, or by the first quarter of next year at the latest."
OCM has also set up a committee - dubbed the Olympic House Project Steering Committee - to oversee the construction of their new headquarters in Bukit Jalil.
The committee is led by OCM secretary-general Datuk Nasir Ali with Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) president Gerard Monteiro as deputy chairperson.
Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill (cycling), Datuk Awalan Abdul Aziz (lawn bowls) and Akhramsyah Sanusi (chess) will serve as committee members.
"This committee will oversee the entire project to ensure that we get a new facility that is worth RM93 million (and not get shortchanged) and to also make sure that the entire process is transparent," added Norza.
The new OCM headquarters will be built on a 5.38 acre plot - leased from the government - by Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB), funded via a land swap deal with the latter.
MRCB will in exchange take the 0.73 hectare plot of land - valued at RM93 million - along Jalan Hang Jebat, Kuala Lumpur where OCM's current headquarters, completed in 1991, are situated.
OCM has also set up various standing committees to oversee different sectors for the 2025-2029 term.
OCM Standing Committees for 2025-2029 term:
Selection, membership, media (all chaired by Tan Sri Norza Zakaria), marketing and sponsorship, winter sports (both Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad), East Malaysia (Azizul Annuar Adenan), general purpose and awards (Datuk Sumali Reduan), museum, hall of fame and welfare (Datuk Iruan Zulkefli), gender equity (Nurul Huda Abdullah), building and facilities (Datuk Dr Chong Kim Fatt), relocation of OCM headquarters task force (Datuk Nasir Ali), finance (Datuk Ahmad Feisal Ahmad Tajuddin), education and training (Moira Tan), medical and anti-doping (Datuk Dr S.S Cheema), legal advisory, rules and discipline (Datuk Seri Firuz Jaffril)
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