Her hiring was confirmed at an OCM Executive Council meeting at the Indoor Sports Complex in Kuala Lumpur.

Forty-four-year-old Chai is currently general manager of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and was formerly chief operating officer of the United Arab Emirates Football Association.

Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria, the OCM President, said she was the best candidate after 65 applications were received for the role.

"When we first advertised the position, 90 per cent of the applicants did not come from a sporting background," he said to New Straits Times.

"We then shortlisted five, before trimming it down to the final two. 

"Michelle was the most suitable among them.

"Her previous experiences at BAM, UAE FA and the Asian Football Confederation will stand her in good stead for the new role.

"We need someone who can inject more professionalism into OCM and bridge the gap between policymakers and the management, apart from dealing with bigger challenges ahead."

Chai added: "I am excited at the prospect of taking on this new role at the OCM.

"Having been fortunate enough to serve in two major sports, football and badminton, I am extremely motivated to play a role in the future of the organisation on behalf of the athletes and national sports associations."

The OCM also used the Executive Council meeting to discuss the Malaysian teams for several major events.

This included the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the inaugural Association of National Olympic Committees World Beach Games in Qatar this month.

January's Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne and the Southeast Asian Games in The Philippines in November and December were also discussed.

A Task Force Committee was also created to review the future of the Malaysian Games.