2024 World Olympic Day organiser speaks out: 'Zero budget from govt'

SHAH ALAM - In response to recent criticism surrounding the launch of Malaysia's 2024 Olympic attire, MY Creative Moments Managing Director Wong Kang Woon shed light on the event's self-funded nature and the non-profit status of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM).

He stressed that there was no budget allocated by the government for the event which drew flak due to the “cheap-looking mannequins” and “ugly” new uniforms as described by Internet users by locally and worldwide.

Driven by his passion for sports and fuelled by his experience as a former Taekwondo athlete and event organiser, Wong envisioned a way to raise awareness for Malaysia's Olympic participation.

He proposed to OCM the organisation of a public Olympic Day Malaysia 2024, entirely funded by MY Creative Moments with additional corporate support and sponsorships.

"OCM is a non-profit organisation, and there was no government budget allocated for this event.

"The event took place at TRX, and to clarify, there was no budget provided. Everything was self-funded by my company, with looking for support and sponsorship from others corporate.

"The collaboration between OCM and MY Creative Moments was my own initiative. I funded the organisation of the Olympic Day Malaysia 2024, with OCM assisting out on the athletes,” he told Sinar Daily when contacted yesterday.

He further pointed out that OCM is a non-profit organisation and does not receive any government funding, which prompted them to collaborate in branding and promoting OCM.

Wong highlighted their move to invite OCM president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria for the closing ceremony of Olympic Day Malaysia 2024, held publicly. Additionally, MY Creative Moments initiated discussions with Norza and OCM Secretary General Datuk Nazifuddin Najib on ways to collaborate with OCM to promote and commercialise sports in Malaysia.

He said sports is a crucial tool for fostering unity and harmony. Wong emphasised that Malaysia's sports industry cannot solely rely on the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) or government budgets. Hence, this collaboration with OCM marked the first time the Olympic Day was held in a public setting.

Previously, he said OCM had engaged various state governments and agencies to organise the Olympic Day with limited audiences, which led to the decision to hold the event at TRX.

“If the event had government backing, the Malaysia Madani and KBS logos would have been prominently displayed everywhere.

“The Olympic Day Malaysia was organised by a private entity and NGO collaboration,” he said.

Highlighting the exclusivity of TRX, he noted covering the rental costs to host the first sports carnival there. He also said that this was the second launch of the national attire by OCM, with the previous one in 2022, and both launches were organised by him.

Wong also said MY Creative Moments was established to assist national athletes in creating their personal branding on a volunteer basis. He highlighted that many athletes are working closely with him, and he is dedicated to helping them with their branding efforts.

"I admit the shortcomings and my mistakes, and I know we can do better. This is an area I aim to improve.

"For me, the damage is done, and we are doing our best to recover. We hope more Malaysians can support the OCM.

"We truly want to unite with the people of Malaysia. Sports are sports, and we need to come together to support our national team as they head to the Olympics in Paris,” he added.

The official attire chosen for Malaysia's contingent at the upcoming Paris Olympics, revealed on June 23 during the Olympic Day 2024 celebration at The Exchange, TRX in Kuala Lumpur, has sparked significant criticism online. Many Malaysians have expressed dissatisfaction with its design on social media.

Critics within the sports community have labelled the attire as outdated and uninspiring compared to Malaysia's previous national contingent uniforms.

Social media users have ridiculed the use of static mannequins instead of real models or athletes at the launch event for the 2024 World Olympic Day, describing it as a poorly executed presentation lacking dynamism. Comments online have strongly condemned the design as simplistic, unoriginal, and unsuitable for such a prestigious event.

According to Nazifuddin, the attire was developed under various constraints, including budget limitations from sponsors. He clarified that the uniforms were funded by sponsors rather than the government.

He also mentioned that the current design would be used for travel and event participation during the Olympics, with a different design planned for the opening ceremony.

He also assured that feedback from athletes and officials would be taken into account for future designs.

Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh clarified on X that the ministry and the National Sports Council had no authority over the design, and that the attire comes under the jurisdiction of OCM and its collaboration with Yonex, independent of KBS and National Sports Council oversight.