BY now, most of us are fully aware that some Malaysian politicians have developed an extraordinary talent: the ability to produce astonishing announcements and make huge promises.
Optimism is a wonderful thing. But there is a fine line between ambition and wandering into the realm of fantasy.
This whole idea of hosting a World Cup is a bit like announcing plans to buy a luxury yacht while your relatives are quietly discussing how to split the electricity bill.
It is acceptable to think big, and dream big, and it is perfectly understandable when most of us did not have proper sleep during the World Cup final.
After all, many were also dreaming – hoping and praying – that teams from smaller countries would, somehow, by some divine miracle, reach the semi-finals.
No one disputes that hosting the world’s biggest sporting event would be a spectacular achievement. The World Cup is football’s Olympics, attracting billions of viewers and requiring world-class stadiums, transport systems, security, accommodation, and logistics.
Then there is the weather. I do not know if Malaysia’s humid weather – with sporadic heavy rain as well – is as bad or worse than summer in the United States or Europe.
Is Malaysia prepared to build stadiums with expensive cooling technology as was done in the United States and Qatar?
It is not that Malaysians lack ambition. Quite the opposite. We are a nation that built the Petronas Twin Towers when many thought it impossible.
We have produced world champions in badminton, divers who punch above their weight, and motorsport events that attract global audiences.
But ambition works best when it comes with a spreadsheet. That’s how serious ideas are carried out and made real.
The average Malaysian today is less concerned about where Argentina might train in 2038 than whether groceries will become cheaper next week.
Inflation has a remarkable ability to reduce one’s enthusiasm for billion-ringgit dreams, especially when one is unlikely to be around to implement, or even see the fruition of the project.
When people hear “World Cup” they no longer picture Lionel Messi or Kylian Mbappé. They calculate how many nasi lemak breakfasts the construction budget represents.
There is also the small matter of venues. Hosting a World Cup is no longer simply about building a few stadiums – which will likely remain empty after the final whistle blows. We need spectacular stadiums.
And we already have stadiums on the East Coast lying idle after playing host to Sukma, which is a much smaller sports event.
Of course, supporters of the proposal argue that big dreams inspire progress. That is true.
The late US President John F. Kennedy announced the moon mission before America’s national space agency Nasa had all the answers. But Nasa had a detailed engineering roadmap.
We, on the other hand, tend to announce the destination first and hope someone eventually remembers to buy the fuel.
Perhaps this explains why Malaysians reacted less with excitement than with perfectly timed memes over the suggestion that Malaysia can host the World Cup one day.
Within hours, social media had already nominated potholes as official training facilities for defensive midfielders and suggested that traffic congestion itself could qualify as an endurance sport.
Malaysians possess an elite- level sense of humour because, historically, it has been cheaper than therapy.
To be fair, there is nothing wrong with thinking big. Every successful country needs long-term aspirations. But timing matters.
Announcing a multibillion-dollar World Cup ambition when households are tightening budgets is rather like telling passengers packed like sardines on board a delayed KTM train that Malaysia could one day build a teleportation device.
Perhaps this is why the proposal struck many as politically tone-deaf rather than visionary.
Citizens also tend to appreciate grand visions after smaller promises have been fulfilled.
Fix the schools. Strengthen healthcare. Improve public transport. Raise wages. Keep prices manageable. Then talk about grand plans. Maybe the Asian Games, for starters.
Malaysians are not against dreaming. They simply prefer dreams that don’t require explaining why reality hasn’t caught up.
Let’s take a hard look at ourselves. The Malaysian national men’s football team is currently ranked 136th in the world and among Asean nations, Malaysia is in fifth position, behind Thailand (94th), Vietnam (99th), Indonesia (118th), and the Philippines (135th).
Some have suggested that Asean could host the World Cup as a region with matches held in the members’ respective countries. Seriously, would any of the other Asean nations, especially those who aren’t football crazy, even want to be part of this idea?
It would also mean that all these Asean nations would become automatic qualifiers, meaning top Asian teams like South Korea, Japan, and Australia may not get in.
And have we forgotten that Malaysia has an outstanding 1MDB liability of RM8.9bil with the country’s total liabilities amounting to RM51.4bil, including principal, interest, legal costs, and operational expenses?
We are struggling to pay these 1MDB bills while also currently funding huge fuel subsidies to keep prices down. Where are we to find the funds to host the World Cup? The cost for the just completed 64-team World Cup has been estimated at between US$8bil and US$14bil.
That’s about RM33bil and RM57bil – and FIFA is thinking of adding more teams. So it will cost much, much more in future.
Meanwhile, many of us are battling the cost of living. We don’t have time to dream about the World Cup. We have still not woken up from an economic nightmare.
National Journalism Laureate Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai is the chairman of Bernama. The views expressed here are solely the writer’s own.
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Wong Chun Wai
Wong Chun Wai began his career as a journalist in Penang, and has served The Star for over 35 years in various capacities and roles. He is now group editorial and corporate affairs adviser to the group, after having served as group managing director/chief executive officer. On The Beat made its debut on Feb 23 1997 and Chun Wai has penned the column weekly without a break, except for the occasional press holiday when the paper was not published. In May 2011, a compilation of selected articles of On The Beat was published as a book and launched in conjunction with his 50th birthday. Chun Wai also comments on current issues in The Star.
