KAJANG: The decision on whether Malaysia is interested in hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games is expected to be made by the Cabinet soon.
Youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh said her ministry is preparing a cabinet paper, including the results of studies on various aspects of organising the games.
“I cannot comment on this matter. We will submit all the study results to the Cabinet for a decision.
“It’s not just financial, there are many factors that need to be looked at and studied. It (cabinet paper) is almost ready,” she told reporters after officiating the ministry’s Women’s Day celebrations and the launch of a Safe Sports Code video at Uniten here today.
The fate of the 2026 Commonwealth Games remains in question after the Australian state of Victoria, which had been due to host the 23rd edition, pulled out in July last year, citing the increased hosting costs from an initial estimate of A$2.6 billion (about RM8.09 billion) to A$7 billion (about RM21.78 billion).
The Victorian government also reportedly agreed to pay A$380 million for breach of contract for failing to host the games, scheduled from March 17 to 29, 2026.
Malaysia hosted the games in 1998.
