Khairy to review bid for 2022 Commonwealth Games

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said he will review the bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and discuss the matter with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said the Olympic Council of Malaysia (MOM) had an early stand that Malaysia would not make a bid but he wished to review the matter as Malaysia was able to organise the sports.

Having successfully organised the 29th SEA Games in August, he said Malaysia needed to look at bigger sports games.

"The Olympic Games may be too big for the time being and the Asian Games will cost too much unless the Olympic Council of Asia reduces the cost of organising it and the one which can still be considered is the Commonwealth Games.

"We have hosted it a while ago, and whether we want to host it again, I have to talk with the Prime Minister first," he told a press conference on the Ship for Southeast Asia and Japanese Youth Programme (SSEAYP), here today.

Khairy said this when asked to comment on MOM's statement that Malaysia would not bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games even though the bidding date had been extended further to Nov 30.

-- BERNAMA