New university in Johor mooted to boost state sports
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
Johor's state government is focused on strengthening its overall sports development ecosystem.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
JOHOR BAHRU – Talks are under way 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.
Mr Mohd Hairi Mad Shah, the state youth, sports, entrepreneur development and cooperatives committee chairman, said the proposed university would complement Johor’s broader sports development ecosystem under its Johor Sports Nation 2030 aspirations.
“However, a sports university is not a prerequisite to achieve this,” he said during the Johor state assembly sitting at Bangunan Sultan Ismail in Kota Iskandar.
“It is a complementary element that can accelerate the state’s journey towards becoming an international sports development hub,” he added.
The vision, he noted, was in line with the aspirations of Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim to elevate Johor as a regional sports powerhouse.
Mr 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 is currently no fixed timeline for the feasibility study, preliminary discussions have begun between the Johor Sports Council (MSNJ), Majlis Amanah Rakyat and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Mr Hairi said.
He added that a special allocation for the study would also be considered.
Mr Hairi said the state government, through MSNJ, is 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 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 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,” Mr Hairi said.
He added that the state is also looking at athletes’ long-term career prospects by offering them industrial training opportunities, certification programmes and skills courses.
He was responding to a question from state assemblyman Pandak Ahmad, who asked whether the state planned to establish a sports university to enhance sports quality and create career opportunities in the region. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK