Fittest MPs can help win RM10,000 for constituency

Khairy (centre) wearing a Garmin tracker to be used during the challenge. - Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's fittest politicians will soon be in the running to win their voters RM10,000 for the coming National Sports Day on Oct 10.

A contest by the Youth and Sports Ministry will pit Members of Parliament against each other on who will make the most number of footsteps over three months.

"Whoever gets the highest average number of steps at the end of that period will receive RM10,000 for their constituency for sports activities," said minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

The challenge, organised by global positioning satellite (GPS) device maker Garmin, will see interested MPs strap on a GPS watch recording the steps they make each day.

Open to all 222 MPs, the challenge will have two categories – those aged below 45 years and those above that.

Khairy then challenged those who were "slightly bigger" than himself to take part.

Referring to Malaysia's obesity problem, he said politicians needed to lead by example if they wanted citizens to be more healthy.

"It's difficult because we (politicians) seldom find time to exercise. We have to eat 10 times a day at functions.

"That being said, we want XXL effort from our MPs to serve the people, but we don't want XXL-sized MPs," he said.

Malaysians were previously reported as being the fattest people in South-East Asia and with one of the highest obesity rates in Asia.

Asked if fitter MPs would mean fewer by-elections, Khairy laughed, adding that healthy politicians were less likely to suffer life-threatening diseases.

A ministry official later confirmed that the RM10,000 for each winner – to be sponsored by Garmin – would be used for sports activities on National Sports Day.

He added the challenge might span three months from June onwards although details would depend on feedback from interested MPs to the ministry.