KUALA LUMPUR: It may sound audacious, but an ideal platform for the hosting of an Olympic Games could trigger aspirations for a Malaysia-Singapore joint-bid for the 2032 edition.
While Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Siew Ka Wei today pictured a serious move in that direction, Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja'afar, while not dismissing it, said it was at this stage a mere idea.
Speaking at the opening of the Malaysia Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) Fair here, Siew said he had discussions with Tunku Imran that pointed to the possibility of the joint-bid.
Siew said this was in line with the government's plans to create more "bucket list" tourist attractions in the country and the need for more international events to pull inbound tourists.
"In my discussions with (Olympic Council of Malaysia president) Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja'afar yesterday, on the table was a joint-bid for the Olympics with Singapore," said Siew.
With the 2020 Olympics set to be held in Tokyo and the 2024 edition and 2028 host jobs likely to be a tussle between Los Angeles and Paris, the 2032 edition would be the earliest available slot open for bidding.
But Tunku Imran dispelled notions that such a plan was already on the table.
"It was more like an idea. We've not even had any discussions over the matter. I was asked what international events.
"So, the earliest available is the 2026 Commonwealth Games, then the 2032 Olympics. And I said for the Olympics it would make sense if we did it together with Singapore as the infrastructure to do it is already available in both countries," said Tunku Imran.
However, he said, should discussions take on a more serious stance, a decision on a formalised bid could only be made in 2025.
"At this stage it is a long way off. Just an idea. But for 2032, it would make sense.
"By then we would have the High Speed Rail (HSR) connecting both countries, the infrastructure would be ideal. And between both countries, we already have the infrastructure to host the sports," said Tunku Imran.
Tunku Imran, however, stressed that there has thus far been no formal discussions between both countries over the matter.
He said while there were schools of thought suggesting bids for Asian Games and Commonwealth Games instead of the Olympics, while would incur a multi-billion ringgit budget, the vast commercial returns in hosting an Olympics would make it a wiser option.