Will new minister bring a new vision – and what of stability?

YOUTH and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh sent off the Malaysian athletes to the SEA Games in Thailand. But they will be welcomed back by a new minister when the biennial event concludes on Sunday.

Dr Mohamed Taufiq Johari is taking over the post.

Just three weeks ago, Hannah had overseen a glittering ceremony at the National Sports Council (NSC), announcing a target of bringing home 200 medals.

She then flew to Bangkok to support the Malaysian athletes, but had to rush back to Kuala Lumpur to be sworn in as Federal Territories Minister at Istana Negara today.

The deputy, Adam Adli, has also been moved to the Higher Education Ministry.

Sungai Petani MP Taufiq is at 29 the youngest to hold the Youth and Sports portfolio since Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman took office in 2018.

Syed Saddiq was 25 then.

Taufiq will be assisted by Mordi Bimol, the 40-year-old Mas Gading MP from Sarawak.

Who exactly is Taufiq, and why was he picked for the post?

A look into his involvement in sports showed that, as Sungai Petani MP, he had organised a petanque doubles tournament in August, with a trophy named in his honour.

He has also occasionally spoken out on football matters in Kedah and attended award ceremonies for sports events in his constituency.

That will be a far cry from the challenges that await him at the ministry.

He will not only need to maintain harmony among the various sports associations, each with its own demands, but also deal with many ongoing national sports issues.

There are 58 affiliated sports under the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM).

Taufiq cannot afford to waste any time. There are many pressing issues, including FIFA’s suspension of seven heritage players, the forced withdrawal of Danish Irfan Tamrin from the SEA Games, and other ongoing controversies.

There are also questions over whether this sudden shake-up is wise, given that Hannah had just started to find her rhythm in leading the ministry and the new cycle of the Road to Gold (RTG) programme only began earlier this year.

With a new minister, new policies often follow. While this is not necessarily wrong, it can mean additional work and, at times, overlap with existing policies, not to mention a lot of hard work going to waste.

Whether Taufiq chooses to continue the policies introduced by Hannah or implement new initiatives of his own, they must ultimately serve the best interests and long-term development of local sports.

And the welcome home reception for the national athletes from the SEA Games could be where Taufiq can engage with athletes and officials and introduce himself as the new boss.

It could also be the time he can outline his vision for a ministry that has for so long sought stability in leadership.