KUALA LUMPUR: The Youth and Sports Ministry has made it clear that only motorsport events sanctioned by the Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) will be eligible for grants, which can go as high as RM1 million, under the ministry.
MAM today launched two new guidelines for the organisation of drag and motocross events, approved by the Youth and Sports Ministry, to ensure both the safety of competitors and spectators at such events.
Organisers must adhere to the guidelines to obtain sanctioning.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said besides missing out on grants, organisers who do not obtain sanctioning could be fined and also blacklisted by the Sports Commissioner's office (SCO).
"Often in the past organisers have complained that it is too tough and too expensive to obtain sanctioning," said Yeoh during a press conference in Bukit Jalil today.
"But after conducting workshops (with stakeholders) we have come up with these two guidelines which MAM believes everyone can follow.
"We are working closely with MAM, SCO and the police to enforce these guidelines. We will file a police report against those who do not obtain sanctioning and SCO can also blacklist the organisers.
"For sports we also have the Matching Grant and also the Sports Community Grant. To have access to these grants an organiser must obtain sanctioning from their own national association.
"We are very strict about this and will not provide any allocations to unsanctioned event organisers. It is not that we do not want them to enjoy themselves, we just want them to be safe.
"A lot of people don't realise that their insurance is not valid if they are competing in an unsanctioned event."
The Matching Grant offers event organisers up to RM1 million in funding while the Sports Community Grant can go up to RM20,000.
Numerous fatalities have occurred in unsanctioned drag races, both in motorcycle and car events, over the past decade.
Sanctioned events must follow strict safety guidelines and track specifications to lower the risk of injury to both participants and spectators during the event.