VIETNAM may now sound like a "dangerous place" to visit, but for now, Malaysia will stick to their plan — which is to participate in the Sea Games there.
Despite the explosion of Covid cases in Vietnam, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said there is no change in the Malaysian contingent's plan for now.
But he added that Malaysia will review their decision closer to the Sea Games, which are scheduled for May 12-23.
Alarmingly, the Covid cases in Vietnam have exceeded 100,000 cases daily over the past few weeks.
This is a major concern to the Malaysian contingent of about 1,000 people, ahead of the biennial Southeast Asian competition.
Ahmad Faizal said his ministry and other agencies are monitoring the situation.
"It's (Vietnam cases) very high, isn't it," said Ahmad Faizal to reporters during an impromptu press conference after the National Sports Awards in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
"At the moment we are sticking to the plan (to send the Malaysian contingent to Vietnam).
"We will continue to monitor the situation in Vietnam and will adhere to the advice given to us, especially from the Health Ministry, regarding sending our athletes to the Sea Games.
"It is not only us (Sports Ministry) who take this seriously, it is the same with all the (national sports) associations and the athletes themselves.
"When we get closer to the games, we will again take a closer look and make a decision in the best interest of all in mind."
As of Monday, Vietnam had recorded a seven-day average of 244,618 cases.
The Vietnam Sea Games, originally scheduled to be held last year, were postponed to this year due to the pandemic.
About 7,000 athletes are expected to compete in 40 sports in Hanoi. Malaysia are expected to send approximately 750 athletes apart from more than 250 coaches and officials.
Earlier this month, the Olympic Council of Malaysia had disclosed that the contingent will be placed in a secure bubble for two weeks prior to leaving for Vietnam.
For Malaysia, the Sea Games serve as an important platform to give mostly young athletes a chance to benchmark themselves against their Southeast Asian peers who are similar in terms of size, strength as well as aerobic and anaerobic capacity.
Malaysia had placed fifth overall at the 2019 Philippines Sea Games with a 56 gold, 57 silver and 71 bronze haul.