By Christine T
KUCHING, Sept 23: Sarawak has no immediate plans to establish its own anti-doping laboratory, with the National Anti-Doping Agency of Malaysia (ADAMAS) set to continue providing testing and oversight for major sporting events in the State, including the 2027 SEA Games.
Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said ADAMAS would deploy anti-doping officers to major tournaments held in Sarawak, where athletes finishing on the podium are typically subjected to testing for prohibited substances.
“Every major tournament that we have down here, ADAMAS or our anti-doping squad will be there to oversee the running of the sports event,” he told reporters after a press conference on the Sarawak National Sports Integrity Conference (SNSIC) 2026 at Baitulmakmur 2 here today.
Abdul Karim said the arrangement had worked effectively during the 2024 Malaysia Games (Sukma), when Sarawak hosted the national multi-sport event.
“For the last Sukma that we hosted in Sarawak, not even a single case of doping was identified. We are very, very proud of that,” he said.
While confirming that Sarawak does not currently operate its own anti-doping laboratory, he said samples collected during competitions are sent elsewhere for analysis under the existing national system.
According to Abdul Karim, establishing a dedicated laboratory and maintaining a full-time anti-doping operation may not be practical at present because testing requirements are largely event-based rather than continuous.
“As we progress, maybe in the future we might need to have one. But normally, these anti-doping measures are needed during tournaments and competitions,” he said.
He added that maintaining specialised personnel and facilities throughout the year could be inefficient in the absence of major competitions requiring regular testing.
Instead, he said, ADAMAS, which is based in Kuala Lumpur, remains capable of deploying the necessary personnel and equipment whenever Sarawak hosts regional, national or international sporting events.
“The team is not very big, but it is sufficient for all the testing units that they need to bring,” he said.
Abdul Karim also revealed that ADAMAS will play a role in the upcoming SNSIC 2026, with its director, Dr Azril Syazwan Mohd Ali, scheduled to speak at the conference.
He said the event would help strengthen awareness among sports administrators, associations and stakeholders on anti-doping compliance and wider sports integrity issues as Sarawak ramps up preparations for the 2027 SEA Games.
The press conference was also attended by Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu, Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department of Sarawak (Integrity and Ombudsman) Datuk Dr Juanda Jaya, and Deputy State Secretary (Operations) Datuk Hii Chang Kee. – DayakDaily
