TALKS are underway to establish a sports university in Johor as part of efforts to position the state as a high-performance sports hub in South-East Asia.
State youth, sports, entrepreneur development and cooperatives committee chairman Mohd Hairi Mad Shah said the proposed university would complement the Johor’s broader sports development ecosystem under its Johor Sports Nation 2030 aspirations.
“However, a sports university is not a prerequisite to achieve this.
“It is a complementary element that can accelerate the state’s journey towards becoming an international sports development hub,” he said during the Johor state assembly sitting at Bangunan Sultan Ismail, Kota Iskandar.
He added that the vision was in line with the aspirations of Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim to elevate Johor as a regional sports powerhouse.
Mohd Hairi said the proposal remained subject to ecosystem readiness, current needs and a comprehensive feasibility study involving various stakeholders.
“This is important to ensure that the university functions as a high-performance athlete development centre that benefits Johor and the region,” he said.
While there was currently no fixed timeline for the feasibility study, preliminary discussions had begun between the Johor Sports Council (MSNJ), Majlis Amanah Rakyat and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), said Mohd Hairi.
He added that a special allocation for the study would also be considered.
He said the state government, through MSNJ, was focused on strengthening its overall sports development ecosystem, pointing to the newly introduced Johor Athlete Career and Education (JACE) programme.
The initiative ensures Johor athletes, particularly those under Malaysia Games (Sukma) and developmental programmes, do not fall behind academically.
Through JACE, the council has partnered with institutions of higher education such as Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and UiTM to offer Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) school-leavers flexible academic arrangements, including weekend classes and tailored training schedules.
“This allows them to balance training and competition preparations without compromising their education,” said Mohd Hairi.
He added that the state was also looking at athletes’ long-term career prospects by offering industrial training opportunities, certification programmes and skills courses.
He was responding to a question from Datuk Pandak Ahmad, who asked whether the state planned to establish a sports university to enhance sports quality and create career opportunities in the region.
