It warned that the sport risks deeper damage if the reform process stays under the control of the same officials linked to the dispute.

The movement also said that Malaysian athletics needs a clean and credible reset led by neutral experts rather than internal management of the crisis.

RISE spokesman Hamdi Jaafar spoke out after president Karim Ibrahim announced on Wednesday that he would go on leave with immediate effect.

Karim said he would relinquish the presidency once Malaysia Athletics aligns its constitution with World Athletics rules and secures approval from the sports commissioner.

His announcement followed weeks of mounting pressure over his eligibility to hold office and the handling of correspondence from World Athletics.

The dispute centres on constitutional amendments passed last year, including a five-year cap on disqualification periods.

Critics say the amendment allowed Karim to contest the presidency last year despite a 2018 ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport that upheld his ineligibility under World Athletics rules.

Hamdi said Karim’s decision to step aside temporarily does not resolve the wider concerns surrounding the federation.

“The central problem has not disappeared,” he said.

“If the present structure is already under challenge, the same group should not continue managing the reform process on its own.”

RISE has called on the sports commissioner to step in and help establish a temporary leadership arrangement while constitutional amendments are prepared and reviewed.

The movement also wants Malaysia Athletics to appoint a separate panel of sports governance and legal experts to supervise the alignment process.

Hamdi said the sport needs a process that athletes, affiliates and the wider public can trust.

“Reform must be transparent and open to scrutiny,” he said.

“It cannot look like an internal exercise controlled by those connected to the dispute.”

RISE also wants full disclosure on who is currently drafting and reviewing the proposed amendments and how decisions are being made within the federation.

The group warned that public confidence in the sport will continue to weaken if key decisions remain confined within a small leadership circle.

Hamdi said the stakes now extend beyond administration.

“This is about the future standing of Malaysian athletics,” he said.

“If the federation fails to align properly with international requirements, the consequences may eventually affect athletes and Malaysia’s position in the global system.”

Karim, who insists he was legitimately elected under the current constitution, said he chose to go on leave for the good of the sport and to allow the constitutional alignment process to proceed smoothly.

He also said all council members had agreed to the proposed direction, including the introduction of an age limit of 70 in line with international standards.

But RISE argued that the federation must now go further than procedural changes.

“The sport needs restoration of trust, not just amendments on paper,” Hamdi said.

“People want to know how this situation developed, why concerns were allowed to grow for so long and who will take responsibility for what happened.”