KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has turned down the offer to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the Youth and Sports Ministry said.
The ministry said the decision was made at a cabinet meeting today after taking into consideration all aspects and implications of hosting a major sports event.
The cabinet decided that the RM603 million grant offered by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) was not enough to fund the hosting of the large-scale event, the ministry said.
"The economic impact (of hosting the event) cannot be realised in the nearest time."
The ministry said delegations from the CGF had met Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh and Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan on Feb 5 to explain the offer to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
"The Madani government would like to extend our appreciation to the CGF for the offer to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
"However, the government, at the moment, wants to focus on sports development and looking after the welfare and livelihood of the people."
Earlier this month, the Olympic Council of Malaysia said discussions were held with the Youth and Sports Ministry on the possibility of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games following an official invitation from the CGF.
The announcement sparked mixed reactions, including from Tun Hashim Mohd Ali, a key figure in Malaysia's hosting of the 1998 Commonwealth Games.
He said it was impossible for Malaysia to host the games with just two years to prepare.