KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 — The Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (PABM) will not be taking part in any international level competition with immediate effect including the 2018 Asian Games this August.

The shocking decision announced by its president Datuk Ayub Rahmat was for taking responsibility to restore the image of the federation which had been plagued with doping.

Despite not participating in international championships, Ayub said all measures to strengthen the development of training and monitoring of athlete performance would continue to be empowered.

"PABM decides not to participate in any international competition for one year. It is an appropriate action at the right time.

"Despite our international absence, we will continue to strengthen the development of local weightlifters,” he said.

He told reporters after chairing the federation’s exco meeting at Wisma OCM here today.

He said there would be however no obstruction for athletes to compete in local contests including 2018 Malaysia Games but they needed to produce a doping free certificate by the Anti-Doping Agency of Malaysia (Adamas).

Apart from that, PABM has also set up a committee to send a clear signal to the National Sports Council (NSC) as well as the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) that PABM is a responsible body which views the doping menace seriously.

Weightlifting was tarnished by doping when three junior athletes, namely Muhamad Hakimie Haikal Nordin, Muhamad Zaidi Mohd Nordin and Ronny Jesos, were tested positive for using a banned substance, stenozolol, by IWF in March.

Later, 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, Mohamad Fazrul Azrie Mohdad was also found positive for using the same substance. — Bernama