MALAYSIAN athletes and officials at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Laos have been told by their government not to treat the competition as a holiday.

Malaysia's Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek warned the delegation about breaches of discipline after a group of cyclists almost missed a flight to Vientiane.

"There should be no excuse for mistakes like missing the flight," Ahmad Shabery told the Bernama news agency.

"The officials ... are responsible to manage their respective teams. They are not here for a holiday."

The Malaysian minister added: "We want officials

and managers who can work, not picked because it is their turn to travel overseas for a holiday." The SEA Games opened in Vientiane on Wednesday.

Malaysia traditionally battle it out on the medals table for regional supremacy with Indonesia and Thailand.

Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, East Timor and Vietnam are also represented at the Games.

Courtesy from Brunei Times