PETALING JAYA: Gerakan Youth today (July 14, 2006) objected the proposal to build a Sports Excellence Academy in Brickendonbury, London.

Its vice-chairman S.Paranjothy said: "We urge the government to reconsider the proposal. We too would like to see our athletes attain the world stage in football and other events.

"Why do we need to go to a foreign country thousands of miles away from home when we have world class facilities in our country which are under-utilised?"

Paranjothy said the government had recently advised its people to change their lifestyle due to the increase in fuel prices and inflation.

"Ironically, the government is doing the opposite by wanting to go ahead in principle with the academy in England," he added.

He pointed out the following reasons for the government's reconsideration of the Academy for Malaysian athletes:

> many are concerned over the project's lack of transparency; and

> Athletes and national teams should go to Genting Highlands or Cameron Highlands to adapt the cold weather instead of England;

Paranjothy also posed the following questions:

> If Malaysian athletes need to experience the "technology and experience" in sports, wouldn't Australia be a better choice than England? (In a recent parliamentary written reply to Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang, why did Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said not state when the Cabinet decision was made and who are the Cabinet committee members?);

> Did the ministry make a finding of the legal implications in turning the Tun Razak Research Centre of the Rubber Research Institute into a sports academy or did the ministry "close-one-eye" to it? (Are we going to have another "crooked bridge" episode because it has been reported that the established regulations forbids the use of the property for anything else other than research and development for rubber or related efforts?);

> The Academy would be of no use because Malaysians are provided equal opportunities and recognition in sports by the authorities, thus creating a need to practice meritocracy if we want to excel in sports; and

> "Further, it is reported that it would cost nearly half a billion ringgit to build the Academy. Wouldn't it be a better and wiser if the money is used for petrol subsidy for the rakyat's benefit?