Latest news with #ArifAstaman
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
MNCF: Cycling is not a rich man's sport, reconsider SST
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia National Cycling Federation (MNCF) hopes the government will reconsider its decision to impose a 10 per cent tax on racing bikes under the expanded Sales and Service Tax (SST) scheme. MNCF secretary Arif Astaman said the move, which came into effect July 1, will affect development costs in the sport at both the grassroots and high-performance levels. Racing bikes - better known as road bikes - were previously exempted from SST. "There is an unfair perception that cycling is a rich man's sport which in reality is far from the truth," said Arif when contacted today (July 5). "None of the riders in our programmes are from the T5 or T10 (income bracket) families. Those who the authorities perceive to be rich are recreational riders who ride their RM50,000 to RM60,000 super bikes to Pangsun on the weekends. "As soon as the (tax) announcement was made we, the federation, wrote a letter to the Finance Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim), asking for the government to reconsider it. "And if a reversal or reduction in tax is not possible, we have asked the government to consider giving us the power to issue end user certificates (for purpose of tax exemption) for riders under national and state development programmes. "End user certificates have already been implemented by various government agencies and we ask that this power be extended to us as well. "MNCF and the National Sports Council should have the authority to certify riders who are eligible for exemption from the tax when there is a need to buy new bikes for them. "Otherwise, this new tax would cause a significant increase in costs for us to run programmes when in fact, these programmes are partly funded by the government itself. "To add to that, there are no local Malaysian manufacturers or brands which produce racing bikes who need to be protected, such as in the automotive industry." Arif added that the SST levied on racing bikes could cause parents to direct their children to other, more affordable, sports. "Long before this SST on road bikes, other types of bikes such as BMX, folding and mountain bikes as well as items such as helmets, cycling shoes and spare parts have been charged a 15 per cent sales tax," said Arif. "This is less than ideal when we are trying to advocate cycling for all and is something we have asked customs to reconsider for a while now." Malaysia Pro Cycling (MPC) team principal Sayuti Zahit believes taxation on bikes should be implemented using a tiered system. "I believe bikes under RM10,000, which for the most part only gets you an entry level road bike, should not be taxed," said Sayuti when contacted today (July 5). "The tax should be gradually increased for bikes above that, or perhaps only start taxing once bikes are above RM30,000. "Otherwise, this would place a huge burden on parents who may already be struggling to pay RM3,000 to RM5,000 for a bike for their 13-year-olds who are only starting to get involved in junior programmes." Sayuti admitted that the SST on racing bikes is likely to hit MPC, a UCI continental road racing team, hard. "High-end racing bikes cost a lot of money, especially time trial bikes. A time trial bike that would normally cost us RM70,000 would now cost us RM77,000, that is a lot for us," he said. "Although we do have a sponsorship deal with bike manufacturers, we only get a discount and do not get our bikes for free." While they may sound like simple sports to the uninitiated, road and track cycling racing are both technologically advanced disciplines. A huge emphasis is placed on aerodynamics, structural rigidity, weight saving as well as drivetrain efficiency when producing racing bikes. A decent bike for professional road racing costs in the region of RM40,000 to RM60,000. Time trial bikes cost even more while at the top end are track racing bikes. The Vorteq WX-R track bikes used by the national squad at the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics cost RM20.5 million to develop over the two Olympic cycles and was listed at RM300,000 retail, per bike.
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
MNCF sees Olympic medal potential in BMX park discipline
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has the potential to challenge for BMX park medals at the Olympics in the future if a proper programme is set up for national riders, says the Malaysia National Cycling Federation (MNCF). MNCF secretary Arif Astaman said park, which is a discipline under the BMX freestyle category, offers Malaysian riders a level playing field. "Over the long run I really do see us having a chance (in BMX park) at the Olympics but don't expect results to come at Los Angeles 2028," said Arif when met recently. "BMX park is essentially a subjective discipline so we are not at a disadvantage (in terms of physique or aerobic capacity). "Riders are given a certain amount of time and have the freedom to do what they want within the park, which contains apparatus such as half-pipe, rails, hills etc. "This is something our athletes can be taught. They can excel if they are provided with world class coaches and a world class training facility. "China and Japan are already big on this (BMX park). "So far BMX park has been included at the last two editions of the Olympics and we are expecting it to remain in the Olympic programme. "UCI, as a world body, is very strong so we are confident it will not get dropped." China's Deng Yawen won the women's BMX freestyle gold at the Paris Olympics last year. Malaysia earlier this year received approval from the UCI to set up a World Cycling Centre (WCC) satellite for BMX in Johor, where athletes from around the continent can come and train. MNCF is hoping to include BMX park facilities as part of the centre which can also host national and international competitions including the Asian Championships as well as be used for training. The centre will be built and run in partnership with the Johor State Government, Johor State Cycling Association, Johor State Sports Council as well as MNCF.
New Straits Times
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
Dormant Jelajah Malaysia faces bleak future
KUALA LUMPUR: The future of Jelajah Malaysia — the country's oldest cycling stage race — as a UCI event remains very much in doubt. That is the view of Malaysia National Cycling Federation (MNCF) secretary Arif Astaman who admitted that it would be very difficult for any organiser to take on the event and expect to turn a profit. The tour — first held in 1963 — was last run in 2017 as a UCI 2.2 level event. An organiser did attempt to revive the race in 2023, however, cancelled the event after postponing it multiple times due to a lack of funding. "I think it is going to be very tough to make Jelajah Malaysia profitable as a UCI2.2 race," said Arif when met recently. "With Jelajah, you don't have the same calibre of riders and teams as Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) so you can't really offer sponsors the same kind of value. "But the costs to organise the race are not that much different as you still have to meet UCI standards. "This means you still have to permanently shut down roads during the event, provide hotel rooms, transportation, fuel, prize money, staging as well as sanctioning fees to the UCI. "It is tough for races like Jelajah to be in the black because we do not have domestic companies (sponsors) who have that kind of money to spend where the link to sales is not immediate. "Personally, I feel that the future of Jelajah as a UCI race remains very much in doubt. I do, however, believe it can be run successfully as a domestic race." Arif said a number of local stage races such as Tour Gateh D'Tranung, Jelajah Negri Sembilan and Tour Geo D'Kedah have proven that it is possible to run stage races sustainably at the domestic level. "Local races run under MNCF rules, which means tour organisers can ask teams to bring their own (team) cars, can place teams in hostels or just give them money to sort out their own accommodation," said Arif. "MNCF also does not set any required standard for prize money. These savings makes the costs of organsing the event much more manageable for the organisers. "The Tour Gateh D'Tranung for example, has done really well over the past few years and is now a seven or eight stage race. "I believe very much in development and we need races in which our young riders can learn to ride in a peloton. You can't replicate that in training. "If you combine the stages from the three local tours we probably have about 14 to 15 days of racing a year for our local riders. "It would be great if we could increase that to somewhere between 20 to 30 days a year. That would be fantastic. "The challenge for organisers who want to run Jelajah as a domestic event is again to find a suitable sponsor. With its name being Jelajah Malaysia, you cannot just hold it in one state."
