KUCHING: As Malaysia Aquatics begins scouting swimmers of Malaysian heritage overseas, Sarawak Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, has urged national sports bodies to “build from the bottom” and focus on nurturing local-born athletes.
Abdul Karim expressed concern over the growing trend of relying on foreign-born talent to represent Malaysia in international competitions, saying it could harm long-term athletic development and dilute national identity.
“It depends on the national association. If they are in the craze of wanting to only win gold medals, they will open everything.
“But that’s not necessarily a good thing,” he said at a press conference today.
He stressed that while some national sports bodies such as FIFA and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) already allow naturalised players, the focus should remain on developing ‘anak jati’, or native-born athletes, to represent both the country and its states.
“Personally, if I may give my opinion, I prefer to see ‘anak jati’ representing Malaysia or, for Sarawak, to be represented by Sarawakians,” he added.
Abdul Karim’s remarks came in response to news that the national body, Malaysia Aquatics (MAS), has announced it is on the lookout for swimmers of Malaysian heritage overseas.
“If one of the athlete’s parents is a Malaysian citizen or was born in Malaysia, they can still play even if they are no longer citizens,” he explained.
Although allowed under international rules, he warned that Malaysia might follow the same path as Harimau Malaya, which now includes many players who do not reflect local heritage.
“It has opened the floodgates. If you look at the Malaysian team, Harimau Malaya, maybe three-quarters of them no longer have the faces of Malays or Chinese. Instead, they look more Caucasian, more like Westerners.
“I can’t say much, because those are the rules. And it’s not just happening in Malaysia. You see the same in Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines,” he said.
Despite global sporting trends, Abdul Karim maintained that Malaysia must prioritise sustainable, grassroots development.
“That door has been opened. But personally, I still prefer to see ‘anak jati’, our native athletes, representing us. When too many are from outside, it’s hard to feel that genuine connection to the team.
“Many of them are based in Europe, some in Latin America. It becomes difficult for us to truly build up our own football scene if we rely too much on external players,” he added.
Abdul Karim urged national sports bodies to resist the temptation of short-term success and instead invest in the long-term future of Malaysian athletes – swimming included.
