KUALA LIMPUR - Malaysia will not bid for the 2010 Asian Games due to the high cost in hosting the event. The Cabinet, at its weekly meeting on Wednesday, rejected the Olympic Council of Malaysia's (OCM) plan to bid for the 2010 Asian Games. Newly-appointed Youth and Sports Minister, Datuk Azalina Othman Said, said that according to her ministry's calculation it would cost the government about RM1.39 billion (US$365.79 million) to host the 16th Asian Games. She added that the money could be better used for the promotion of sports programmes that would benefit Malaysians in general. This decision is in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s policy of abandoning multi-billion-ringgit mega projects, and instead to focus on development projects that would benefit the populace at large and to reduce a budget deficit. Azalina said the decision did not mean Malaysia was not interested to host major international events in the future.” With Malaysian government’s rejection of the bid, the field is open to the other contender, Guangzhou in China, to host the 2010 Asian Games. In 2000 Malaysia made its bid to host the 2006 Games but lost to Qatar.