KUALA LUMPUR, March 1 — The Olympic Agenda 2020 introduced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2014 may give an opportunity for Malaysia to bid for the prestigious Olympics Games in the future.

Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president, Tan Sri Tunku Imran Tuanku Jaafar is optimistic if the bidding cost for hosting the Olympics could be reduced, Malaysia might have a chance to bid for the host job.

He said one of the ideas in realising the bid was to team-up with Singapore to make a joint bid.

When asked to elaborate further, Tunku Imran however said: "It was too early to discuss that matter but we had a discussion between two people.             

"Both city (Malaysia and Singapore) have fully equipped facilities such as hotels, airports and convenient transport facilities. If they (IOC) make the cost of bidding cheaper or there is different system. I feel it would make a lot of sense.

"I know Singapore seek the same way, they don’t want to get involved in a huge expensive bid,” he told to the reporters here today.

Earlier, Tunku Imran was a panellist in the Asian Sports Press Association (AIPS-Asia) Congress 2017 at the Concorde Hotel here today.

Olympic Agenda 2020 is the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic movement and shows that safeguarding the uniqueness of the Olympic Games and strengthening sports in society.

Some of the key areas addressed by Olympic Agenda 2020 are; changes to the candidature procedure, with a new philosophy to invite potential candidate cities to present a project that fits their sporting, economic, social and environmental long-term planning needs.

It also emphasizes reducing costs for bidding, by decreasing the number of presentations that are allowed and providing a significant financial contribution from the IOC.

Meanwhile, during the event, Tunku Imran said today’s international congress would help further boost the interest and development of the sports media industry in this region.

"The role of media in promoting sports is commendable and highly appreciated. From a player myself to being a member of the IOC, I have seen how sports and sports journalism has evolved over the years.

"The news of athletes and the stories of their blood, sweat and tears — have been reported and broadcasted in different media platforms with sheer pride, devotion and commitment in Malaysia, Asia and all around the world,” he said.

He said the rise of digital had completely re-shaped the media sector. The boundaries between traditional media and digital media are more blurred. Media convergence is a reality.

"Social media are an increasingly important route to news. Study showed that Facebook in developing countries has become increasingly the vehicle to deliver news.

"There are new challenges and hurdles. The media organization is confronting a time of many changes. The speed of the news being delivered now is mind blowing, but that’s the reality. Questions on validity of news have been raised, integrity at times has been compromised and the old business media models have collapsed,” he said. — Bernama