The quartet consisting of Ghalib Azimi, Redha Rozlan, Nuur Hafis Said Alwi and Yoong Wei Theng had to settle for silver with a time of 25.15s.

The Philippines, who overtook Malaysia in the final moments of the competition, clocked 24.47s while Indonesia and Laos shared the bronze after posting 31.27s and 34.11s respectively in another race.

Although the result was not in Malaysia’s favour, team leader Redha said they had given their best after sacrificing time and energy to win gold.

“Thanks to my teammates. We sacrificed time with our families for three weeks to train in Manila. I am happy because we have given everything. Maybe we will get another shot at gold in the future,” he said.

Redha added that the team needs support to improve its training and future performances.

He is optimistic that Malaysia will be able to win its first gold in the next SEA Games if they receive the backing they need.

“We lack training facilities. We hope that someone can help provide a set of obstacles similar to what the Philippines have,” said the 35-year-old.

This is Redha’s third appearance at the SEA Games.

He won silver in the artificial wall climbing event at the 2011 edition in Palembang, Indonesia, before bagging three silvers in obstacle races in Manila, Philippines, in 2019.

Meanwhile, Malaysia and Cambodia shared the bronze in the women’s team relay competition, with gold and silver going to the Philippines and Indonesia respectively.