KUALA LUMPUR – After more than a month of silence, the Federal Territory Sports Council has finally stepped in to address the brewing conflict between the Kuala Lumpur Cycling Association (KLCA) and a group of concerned parents.
The council’s director Nik Ahmad Zahiruddin Nik Saleh acknowledged the ongoing turmoil between the two parties and confirmed receipt of a complaint letter from dissatisfied parents regarding the management of KLCA.
However, Nik Ahmad believes it would be best for all parties to meet and resolve the issue amicably.
Earlier, Datuk Razlan Razali resigned from his position as KLCA president less than three weeks after his appointment due to disappointment with several committee members he accused of not promptly addressing the cycling body’s issues.
Parents of former KLCA cyclists allege issues involving racial discrimination, breach of trust and misuse of funds received from the Federal Territory Sports Council in recent years.
Even worse, there are allegations that Kuala Lumpur cycling head coach Datuk Ng Joo Ngan practises favouritism and racism towards his cyclists.
“This issue is already on our radar, and we will soon arrange a meeting between KLCA and the parents’ group. We will attend the meeting as observers and mediators to resolve this conflict.
“As for the allegations of funds misuse, we are still awaiting an official report from the coordinator, and I do not wish to point fingers at any party. Let’s wait for the investigation results and the meeting with the parents,” said Nik Ahmad.
While no specific date has been set for the meeting, Nik Ahmad assured that it would be convened within the next week or two to address the pressing concerns.
At the same time, Nik Ahmad admitted that this conflict had somewhat disrupted the preparations of the Kuala Lumpur cycling squad, who have only three months left to prepare for the coming Sukma.
“To some extent, I believe this issue will disrupt our cycling squad’s preparations for the Sarawak Sukma. Therefore, we hope for a positive outcome from the upcoming meeting,” he added. – May 2, 2024