Prestigious fitness and bodybuilding championship event FIF Mr Perak believes the sport is an activity that must be for everyone, and it must be promoted throughout the country and also the region of South-East Asia. The organisers have taken a big step in introducing the sport and competition to people with disabilities (PWD, or better known as OKUs in Malaysia) and also a contest for beginners.
And true to their word, FIF Mr Perak 2026 is set to make its own history by introducing special categories for Persons with Disabilities (PWD/OKU) and Body Transformation in its inaugural event in the state.
The Director of FIF Perak, Kaliyapan Raguraman, said that the introduction of the OKU category was made with the awareness of providing a fair platform without placing them in an unfair competition situation with able-bodied athletes.
"A total of 11 disabled athletes will be participating in this edition." Interestingly, we do not compete with them; instead, all 11 disabled participants are recognised as champions and will bring home trophies, medals, cash prizes, and sponsored products.
"This is a space for them to shine and build self-confidence," he said at a press conference here in KL on Thursday (Sept 10).
Participants only need to submit a 30-second video showing a before-and-after comparison to be presented on the main stage.
The organisation of this tournament also received strong support from the local official sponsor, Fersyella, represented by its founder, Siti Nurfarahin Mohd Sharif.
Siti Nurfarahin, who is also a former nurse, explained that her involvement was driven by the organiser's concern for the disabled community and the spirit of promoting a healthy lifestyle comprehensively.
As a former nurse, I used to care for patients in rehabilitation hospitals and often saw these people with disabilities feeling isolated or hopeless.
"This organisation gives a new ray of hope that they can also succeed and perform on the sports stage like others. Furthermore, my husband is also an ardent bodybuilder and supporter of the activities," she said.
In addition to those two unique categories, FIF Mr Perak 2026 also features the Men’s Classic, Men’s Physique, Jeans Model, First Timer, Novice, and Bodybuilder categories, which offer cash prizes, trophies, certificates, and the title of Champion of Champions.
To further invigorate the local industry, the organisers also provided eight exhibition booths free of charge to Perak SMEs to promote their products throughout the tournament. Entries for the tournament for competitors and also the fans are all free of charge.
The opening ceremony will be officiated by the Political Secretary to the Chief Minister of Perak, Datuk Mohd Tarmizi Idris, while the closing ceremony and award presentation will be officiated by the Special Officer to the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Arvend Applasamy.
This competition will be judged by invited judges including Dennis Tew (President of FIF International) and Ismail Ahmad (President of FIF Malaysia).
The panel of professional judges includes Charles Lee, Jessica Lee, Mark Yap, Ayswwini Dass, Jeffery Thiang, Hafidz Hassan, and Prasath Palanisamy. (For more information for fans and also interested sponsors, you can visit the website www.fifinternational.net, and for sponsorship purposes, you can contact fifperak@yahoo.com)
