KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s approach of leveraging sports as a platform for diplomacy, economic activity and nation branding is helping position Malaysia back on the global sporting stage, according to an analyst.
Global Peace Institute, London senior fellow Prof Dr Mohd Mizan Mohammad Aslam said Malaysia had, in recent months, demonstrated how global sporting events could be used not only to entertain the public but also to strengthen international relationships, generate economic activity and create a sense of shared national excitement.
“Sport is often treated as entertainment, but for governments it can also be diplomacy, economic policy and nation branding rolled into one," he said in a statement today.
Formula 1’s return to the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) after nine years and Malaysia’s efforts to ensure access to the 2026 FIFA World Cup broadcasts demonstrated how sports could be used to strengthen the country’s international engagement.
Mohd Mizan said Malaysia’s hosting of the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix from Oct 2-4 demonstrated the international dimension of sports diplomacy, after the Bahrain Grand Prix could not proceed at its original venue due to geopolitical conditions in West Asia.
He said the arrangement went beyond a commercial transaction involving a racetrack, as it was facilitated within the wider relationship between Malaysia and Bahrain, with the support of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa also travelled to Malaysia and met Anwar during the race weekend.
Mohd Mizan said Anwar’s attendance at the qualifying session at Sepang, visit to the Mercedes-AMG Petronas pit and participation in a reception hosted by Prince Salman further demonstrated how the sporting event created a platform for diplomatic engagement.
“Sport had therefore created a diplomatic platform. Leaders met, bilateral relations were reinforced and Malaysia was placed before a global audience not through a formal summit but through one of the world’s most recognisable sporting spectacles,” he said.
Mohd Mizan said the public response to F1’s return was equally significant, with around 95,000 three-day tickets sold by late September and SIC expecting sales to reach about 100,000, which would be the highest ticket sales recorded for races held at the circuit.
He said the event also generated significant economic spillovers, with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) estimating that it could draw around 300,000 tourists, including about 50,000 international visitors, while Hong Leong Bank Research projected an economic impact of approximately RM1.3 billion through sports tourism and foreign visitor spending.
“Formula 1 does not benefit only the circuit. Visitors spend on hotels, restaurants, transport, retail and tourism. Television coverage carries images of Malaysia around the world. International teams, sponsors, journalists and corporate leaders arrive in the country,” he said.
Turning to football, Mohd Mizan said the government’s decision to ensure Malaysians had access to the 2026 FIFA World Cup represented the domestic dimension of sports diplomacy, with football remaining one of the country’s most widely followed sports.
RTM and Unifi TV were appointed official broadcasters, with all 104 matches made available through the participating platforms, while the government allocated RM26.2 million to secure the broadcasting rights and strategic cooperation with the private sector helped widen access and distribution, he said.
Mohd Mizan also said that access to the World Cup through legitimate and accessible channels represented a form of social inclusion, as major sporting events could create shared experiences cutting across race, age, geography and income.
“Few things temporarily dissolve Malaysia’s normal social divisions as effectively as sport. During major football tournaments, mamak restaurants, living rooms, community halls and public viewing areas become shared national spaces,” he said.
He said Anwar’s approach showed that diplomacy today operated far beyond formal conference rooms, with Malaysia using F1 and FIFA to bring the world closer to its people while strengthening its position on the global sporting stage.
“Sometimes diplomacy happens through bilateral negotiations. Sometimes it happens through football and sometimes, at 300 kilometres per hour around Sepang,” he said.
-- BERNAMA