KUALA LUMPUR: The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) have settled on a new design for the national contingent's Paris Olympics attire which has greater emphasis on the tiger theme.
The most recent version of the national kit, unveiled late last month, received heavy criticism online for its design.
Fans pulled no punches when stating their views, dubbing it "ugly", "cheap-looking" and "outdated".
OCM president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria believes the new design, which has yet to be shown to the public, better represents the "tiger spirit" the national contingent is known for.
"Following mixed reactions towards the (initial) design and tiger motif which has been deemed as lacklustre, OCM has selected a fiercer tiger stripe pattern to be used on the Paris Olympics attire," said Norza in a statement released today.
"The new design has a black background with bigger and clearer yellow tiger stripes at the front and rear of the jacket.
"The OCM logo with the waving Jalur Gemilang is back to being in colour, accompanied by the five Olympic rings, instead of gold.
"For the gold coloured polo shirt, OCM has decided to retain the same pattern and motif but with an OCM logo which reflects the colours of the Jalur Gemilang as a sign of respect towards the national flag.
"It is OCM's hope - representing stakeholders including the Youth and Sports Ministry, National Sports Council and National Sports Institute - that the tiger spirit will inspire the national athletes to roar in Paris."
To produce the new design in time, Norza said the new attire will not feature the Yonex logo and will also use fabric from a different manufacturer.
Yonex Sunrise Malaysia has been the official attire sponsor for the national contingent over the past decade.
"Due to time constraints, OCM has obtained permission from Yonex to not have the Yonex or the YY logo displayed on the both the jacket and t-shirt," added Norza.
"For Yonex Sunrise Malaysia to print and prepare the attire, it involves an agreement process with the manufacturer as part of the brand's standard operating procedure.
"Yonex Sunrise Malaysia have thus given special permission to OCM to print and produce the jacket with fabric from a different manufacturer."
"OCM thanks Yonex Sunrise Malaysia for allowing us to produce the new attire using a different fabric and design."
Norza added that he hopes all Malaysians will give their full support to the national contingent competing in Paris from Jul 26-Aug 11.
A total of 26 national athletes will be competing in Paris.