Sports analyst says Malaysia show no clear progress in key Olympic sports
That is the view of sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli, speaking on the latest Timesport: On The Beat podcast.
Swimming and athletics each offer almost 50 gold medals per SEA Games.
Malaysia managed just one gold in swimming and five in athletics in Phnom Penh.
"Frankly, I do not see much progress in swimming after what was our worst-ever performance at the 2023 Games," said Pekan.
"We are still relying heavily on Khiew Hoe Yean for gold, while other swimmers have yet to shine.
"This is a concern, especially with Singapore and Vietnam being strong, and Thailand and Indonesia ramping up talent development in swimming."
He was equally worried about athletics, a sport Malaysia once dominated at SEA Games level.
"We have only won five golds in the last two editions, when we should be getting at least seven or eight," he said.
"Most of our recent golds have come from field events. Hopefully, Azeem Fahmi can come back from the US to race for us, but even then there's no guarantee he'll win the 100m — Thailand's Puripol Boonson is very consistent, and Lalu Zohri (Indonesia) has recovered from injury.
"We were lucky to have Umar Osman (400m) emerge and win gold last time, but apart from him I don't see new track talents making a mark."
Malaysia Athletics had set a 10-gold target for Phnom Penh but fell well short.
Swimming's decline has been stark — just one gold at both the 2021 Hanoi and 2023 Phnom Penh Games, each through Hoe Yean.
Malaysia Aquatics, under new management since 2023, has revamped the national programme but say it could take a decade to bear fruit.
The national contingent also suffered their worst overall SEA Games showing in Phnom Penh, finishing seventh in the medal table with 34 golds, 45 silvers and 96 bronzes — well below the 40-gold target.
There is hope for better returns in Thailand, with tenpin bowling, track cycling, water skiing and squash — all traditionally strong Malaysian sports — back on the programme.
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