MELAKA: The state government is currently headhunting a qualified person to be the state Sport Council (MSN) director, says a state executive councillor.

       State youth development, sports and non-governmental organisations (NGO) committee chairman V.P. Shanmugam said several candidates have been interviewed to replace the former director after his contract ended in April 2020.

       “We are in the midst of looking for the right candidate regardless of his or her ethnicity or gender. The bottom line is that the selected candidate will be able to contribute immensely to the sporting excellence of the state,” he said in an interview on Monday (Mar 7),

       Shanmugam said the human resources department under the purview of the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) have made an application to the Public Service Department on filling the vacancy and are now waiting for the candidates to be shortlisted.

       He said the position has been helmed by three officers with sporting backgrounds as acting directors throughout the 23 months without a full-fledged director.

       “These acting directors have been functioning effectively without any hiccups so far,” he added,

       Shanmugam was responding to a recent Facebook post by Ayer Keroh assemblyman Kerk Chee Yee who claimed that the state government has failed to give priority to filling the vacancy and disregarding the development of sports in the state.