OCM TARGETS NEW BUKIT JALIL OFFICE BY SEA GAMES 2027 - NAZIFUDDIN

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 (Bernama) -- The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) hopes to move into its new office, which will be called Olympic House Malaysia, by the time Malaysia hosts the SEA Games in 2027.

However, OCM secretary-general Datuk Mohd Nazifuddin Najib acknowledged that relocating from Wisma OCM on Jalan Hang Jebat here to the new office in Bukit Jalil before the event will be a challenging process.

He said OCM has decided to lease a five-acre plot of land adjacent to the National Hockey Stadium from the Malaysian Stadium Corporation.

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“The land lease matter has been discussed and we will swap the Wisma OCM land with Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB). We are waiting for Cabinet approval to lease the land.

“Once the land is leased and paid for, we can hand it over to MRCB for development,” he said when met after the launch of the Malaysia Kidslympic 2024 at Stadium Merdeka here today.

Mohd Nazifuddin said OCM will assess the costs for the relocation process.

Out of the five acres of land, two acres are expected to be used for the office building, while the remaining space will be allocated for parking, gardens and training areas.

The lease for the 1.8-acre Wisma OCM land, established in 1991, will remain valid until 2077. Wisma OCM is located near iconic venues such as Stadium Merdeka, Stadium Negara and the world’s second-tallest skyscraper, Merdeka 118.

The decision to move to Bukit Jalil was made because most sports facilities have relocated to the area, in addition to accessibility challenges due to heavy traffic around Wisma OCM in central Kuala Lumpur.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Dec 11 that the construction of the new building had been agreed upon by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh on behalf of the government. 

Meanwhile, National Olympic Academy of Malaysia director Nicholas Chan said the inaugural Malaysia Kidslympic event features five sports -- athletics, gymnastics, volleyball, baseball/softball and modern pentathlon -- which will be contested at the SEA Games in Thailand next year.

“This programme involves children aged 12 and below, and we expect to attract around 800 participants overall by the closing ceremony tomorrow. It provides early exposure for grassroots-level athletes to experience the competition and the atmosphere of a real stadium,” he said.

-- BERNAMA