SHAH ALAM, June 9 — The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) is leveraging sports as a platform to strengthen the city’s international profile following the renewal of its sponsorship agreement with tower-running ace Soh Wai Ching.
Petaling Jaya Mayor Dato' Mohamad Zahri Samingon said the collaboration goes beyond supporting an elite athlete; it is a strategic effort to promote the city on the global stage through Soh’s participation in international competitions and programmes.
"The latest one-year agreement, worth RM75,000 and valid until December 31, 2026, reflects MBPJ’s commitment to showcasing Petaling Jaya through sporting excellence.
"Soh set 15 competition records while earning recognition through one Guinness World Record and four entries in the Malaysia Book of Records," he told the media during the sponsorship signing ceremony today.
Zahri added that MBPJ aims to position Petaling Jaya as a national hub for tower running development.
"As part of the initiative, Soh will conduct regular tower running training sessions and workshops, subject to his competition schedule, to help develop future talent and attract greater youth participation in the sport.
"The council will further strengthen these efforts through the organisation of the PJ International Tower Run 2026 on June 21st in conjunction with Petaling Jaya’s 20th anniversary celebration," he said.
The international event is expected to attract participants both locally and from abroad, introduce tower running to a wider audience, and reinforce Petaling Jaya’s stance as an active, progressive, and internationally recognised sporting city.
Zahri noted that Soh will conduct motivational talks in schools around Petaling Jaya to share his experiences and inspire students to pursue excellence.
"The collaboration demonstrates MBPJ’s commitment to nurturing high-performance sporting talent while utilising the achievements of local athletes to further enhance the city’s image and competitiveness at the international level," he said.
