KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — Datuk Karim Ibrahim was unsuccessful in defending his presidency of the Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF), losing narrowly to his deputy Datuk SM Muthu in elections held today at Wisma OCM here.

In the elections, held in conjunction with MAF’s 16th Annual General Meeting, Muthu received just three more votes than Karim’s 18.

Karim had served as president of the governing body for athletics in the country for two terms, scoring a big win over Datuk Wan Hisham Wan Salleh in 2014 and retaining the post uncontested in 2016.

Former track queen Datuk Paduka Mumtaz Jaafar won the deputy presidency unopposed when former MAF president Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim withdrew his candidacy last night.

Muthu, who is also the Selangor Athletics Association president, had served as MAF deputy president since 2014.

The four vice-president posts were won by Datuk Wira Mark William Ling (34 votes), Rajemah Sheikh Ahmad (28), Datuk Fadzil Abu Bakar (20) and Josephine Kang (20).

A second round of voting was undertaken in the contest for the fourth vice-president’s post between Kang and Mohamad Awang who each garnered 19 votes initially.

Representatives from 13 MAF affiliates voted in the elections.

Full results:

President

1.            Datuk Karim Ibrahim — 18 votes

2.            Datuk SM Muthu — 21 votes

Deputy President

Datuk Paduka Mumtaz Jaafar (unopposed)

Vice-President (4 positions)

1.            Iyaru Muthusamy — 10

2.            Datuk R. Annamalai — 15

3.            Datuk Wira Mark William Ling — 34

4.            Josephine Kang — 19 (20 in second round of voting)

5.            Mohamad Awang — 19

6.            Rajemah Sheikh Ahmad — 28

7.            V. Mathivanan — 11

8.            Datuk Fadzil Abu Bakar — 20 — Bernama