Malaysia has declined the opportunity of host the 2016 Commonwealth Games, citing concerns over cost and inadequate funding from the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF). The decision comes after Victoria, Australia withdrew as host due to escalating expenses. Malaysia’s withdrawal raises the prospect of the Games not occurring for the first time since World War II. Officials stated that the offered funding was insufficient, and hosting the event on short notice without adequate time to evaluate its economic impact was not feasible.
Government spokesperson and Communication Minister Fahmi Fadzil said;
“If we had a longer time, we would definitely do it, but because there’s such a short time, we definitely cant do it.”
“Additionally, the economic impact could not be identified in this short timeframe.”
The youth and sports ministry said 100 million pounds funding it had offered would not be enough to cover the cost of hosting a large-scale sports event.