Is this the right direction?

A video clip containing a message from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will be among Malaysia's "secret" weapons in its bid to host the 2013 International Olympic Council (IOC) Congress. (Read here)

A decision will be made tomorrow in Vancouver, Canada at the IOC Executive Board Meeting.
Personally, I have mixed feelings about this.
Yes, I agree being given the honour to host the 2013 IOC Congress will put Malaysia on the world map, there is the tourism element, will enhance Malaysia's third attempt to host a Asian Games (in 2019) and it will be good for the image of Malaysia.
However, the other side of me asks, do we need to spend so much money in the bid to host the Congress and if we get the nod, spend even more probably running into hundreds of million ringgit.
And mind you hosting the IOC Congress, is like hosting kings from the various countries in the world.
Will it not be better to spend the money on more useful things to enhance the economy of the country, improve our education and health system, help the poor, create more job opportunities, development of sports at the grassroots, provide better training and exposure for our athletes and the list can go on.
Will hosting the IOC Congress and even the Asian Games, improve our sporting standards in the country.
Do we have to host these events to see our sporting standards improve?
My gut feeling says that there is many ways to skin a cat and hosting events is certainly not the way to improve the Malaysian sports standards.
Yes, we hosted the 1998 Commonwealth Games and spent millions and even probably running into billion ringgit in total, but where is Malaysian sports today?
Yes, we are accorded at perfect host and received accolades for having organisational abilities, but where does that take our standards of Malaysian sports.
Even the accounts for the Commonwealth Games are not closed yet, if I am not mistaken.
And all the issues that raised from the hosting of Commonwealth Games from many becoming instant millionaires, the law suits etc.
Yes, the Government is behind this bid to host the IOC Congress and I suppose they know best or have abundance of extra cash to splurge.
Before this, Malaysia lost to Qatar in its bid to host the 2006 Asian Games and did not bid for the 2010 Asian Games, citing the high cost in hosting the event.
China will host the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou while South Korea will host the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.
Malaysia, also had tried to bid for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games to be held this year, although there was clear indication that Singapore would be the preferred host.

Below are some reports and comments on previous bids and attempts to host various international events: 

"Expecting to be considered an advanced country by the year 2020, as expressed in Wawasan 2020, there was a slight expectation from the public for the capital Kuala Lumpur to host the Summer Olympics. However, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak  said Malaysia was not ready as holding the Olympic Games was a "tall order for the country" until they could become more of a sports powerhouse."


 "Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The IOC Evaluation Commission for the host city of the 125th IOC Session in 2013 made an inspection on November 19-20 of the proposed venues and facilities in Kuala Lumpur, one of the two short-listed cities bidding to host the 125th IOC Session.


The Commission was led by its Chairman, Ng Ser Miang, IOC Vice President, from Singapore. Other members of the Commission were IOC Member Willi Kaltschmitt, Thierry Springer, Director of Finance and Administration of the IOC, and Paul J. Foster, Head of Protocol, Events and Hospitality Services of the IOC.


The IOC Evaluation Commission had a meeting with representatives of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Mandarin Oriental, Traders Hotel, Tourism Malaysia, Dewan Bandaraya of Kuala Lumpur, BERNAMA, Media Prima, Malaysia Airlines and the Olympic Council of Malaysia. The members of the Evaluation Commission also inspected the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the Mandarin Oriental and the Traders Hotel."


November 26, 1998

Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur has joined the bidding battle for the hosting of the 2008 Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday.
The IOC said in a statement that the Malaysian Minister of Youth and Sports Tan Sri Muhyiddin Bin Mohd Yassin on Thursday informed the IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch that the Malaysian capital will bid to host the 2008 summer Olympic Games.
The minister said that the decision for the Kuala Lumpur bid had been taken by the Malaysian government, the statement said. The IOC added that the…

Inaugural Youth Olympics bid:
Singapore and Moscow made the final list after the elimination of Athens, Greece; Bangkok, Thailand; Turin, Italy; Debrecen, Hungary; Guatemala City; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Poznan, Poland.


"KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia is considering bidding for the 2019 Asian Games after twice being rejected for the region’s biggest multi-sports event.
The country’s Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek told local media that Kuala Lumpur also wanted to stage the 2013 International Olympic Committe (IOC) Congress.
“If Malaysia is given the opportunity to host the IOC Congress it will strengthen Kuala Lumpur’s bid for the 2019 Asian Games,” he was quoted by Malaysia’s Bernama news agency.
Malaysia previously lost out to Qatar in the bidding to host the 2006 Asian Games and pulled out of the race for 2010 due to financial reasons.
The Chinese city of Guangzhou will host next year’s Asian Games while South Korea’s Incheon stages the event in 2014. The first Asian Games was held in New Delhi in 1951."