The Commonwealth Games Federation offered Malaysia £100 million ($126.21m) in supporting funds to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, but the country has declined.
On Friday, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Hannah Yeoh, said: “The government wants to focus on the development of sports as well as the welfare and well-being of our people, and we currently have bread-and-butter issues to think about first.”
The proposal had received a mixed response in Malaysia amid concerns over the economy, including a sharp decline in the value of the ringgit, the national currency.
Malaysia was asked to host the event after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew last year. They also claimed the estimated cost of hosting the Games, $4.5 BILLION, will be too high.
