Aruwin proud to be skiing for M’sia again at the Winter Olympics

 Alpine skier Aruwin Salehhuddin, who turns 22 on Feb 14, is all set to compete at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

Alpine skier Aruwin Salehhuddin will compete in the giant slalom and slalom events at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. (Aruwin Salehhuddin pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Malaysia is a country defined by heat, rain and humidity – not snow. Yet far from home, on frozen slopes thousands of kilometres away, alpine skier Aruwin Salehhuddin carries the Jalur Gemilang into spaces few Malaysians have ever gone to.

In alpine skiing, athletes race down snow-covered slopes, armed with only speed, balance and loads of courage.

At the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Aruwin returns to the world’s prestigious winter sporting stage for the second time. But this time, she is Malaysia’s sole athlete.

Four years ago, in Beijing, she broke new ground as the first female athlete to represent Malaysia at the Winter Olympics. Today, she stands as the first Malaysian woman to compete at the Winter Games twice.

It’s a remarkable feat for someone in her twenties – in fact, she turns 22 on Feb 14, just a day before her first competition at this year’s Olympics.

Six-year-old Aruwin on the slopes, already finding her footing in the snow. (Aruwin Salehhuddin pic)

“I’m incredibly proud to be a woman representing Malaysia. It feels like I’m representing all the strong women I know from Malaysia,” Aruwin told FMT Lifestyle.

That pride was clear at the opening ceremony, where she once again carried the Jalur Gemilang as Malaysia’s flag bearer – an honour she has received at both Winter Olympics she competed in.

It is a long way from where her story began – from her first steps on skis in the snow at the age of two to the athlete she is today.

Aruwin grew up in the US and first learnt to ski in Canada. “I fell in love with it, and I kept going back every weekend as much as possible.”

At the time, she and her parents were living in Washington state and the journey to Canada was long – but they always ended the same way, with time on the slopes, and a joy that kept pulling her back.

“I love the feeling of freedom when I ski – the adrenaline rush. When I’m in the flow, everything else fades away. Stress from life, or personal things I’m dealing with, just goes away when I’m skiing – especially when I’m skiing well,” she reflected.

Watching her ski, she glides with an elegance that makes the sport look almost effortless – belying years of intense training and injuries along the way.

Aruwin with her coach, Kai Alaerts and her parents, Salehhuddin Ayob (also the chef de mission of the Malaysian contingent at this year’s Winter Olympics) and Siti Tunggal (team manager). (Aruwin Salehhuddin pic)

She once broke her collarbone during a competition in Italy, skied through shin splints at the last Winter Olympics, and as recently as December, twisted her right knee while competing in China.

But those moments, Aruwin said, taught her perseverance.

“I do my best to push through, because otherwise it feels like a waste of all the money we’ve spent and my parents’ efforts,” said Aruwin, who is largely self-funded.

These days, she spends about eight months a year training in Europe under Belgian coach Kai Alaerts. The rest of her time is split between Colorado, where her family is now based, and Malaysia.

Her time in Malaysia is brief, but precious. Familiar flavours like nasi lemak ayam berempah and satay are among those she never missed, grounding her before she heads back to snow.

Long before she carried the Jalur Gemilang onto the world stage, sport was woven into the fabric of her upbringing.

Aruwin in action at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. (Aruwin Salehhuddin pic)

An only child, Aruwin grew up in a home where the Olympics were not just watched, but lived – her father, Salehhuddin Ayob, represented Malaysia in slalom kayaking at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

Looking back, Aruwin shared that the last Winter Games remains her most memorable competition – it marked her Olympic debut, the moment when years of training finally converged.

“It was the first time I got to compete with incredible athletes such as Mikaela Shiffrin and Federica Brignone,” she recalled, adding that at the Beijing Games, she became the youngest athlete to represent Malaysia at the Winter Olympics.

“This time around, I want to see how much I can actually push and how fast I can go. To ski a bit braver and see how much I’ve improved since the last Olympics,” she shared.

To other young women athletes, she shared these words of encouragement: “Always stay true to yourself. Know what it takes to get there and surround yourself with people who truly support you. Give yourself enough rest when you really need it, so you can continue to push harder when you need to.” - FMT

Court upholds dismissal of manager at Telekom Malaysia subsidiary

 The Industrial Court says the claimant had abused his position to benefit himself and a senior air force officer.

The Industrial Court says TM Technology Services Sdn Bhd’s dismissal of the manager was justified on grounds of abuse of position for personal gain. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 The Industrial Court in Kuala Lumpur has upheld the dismissal of a manager at a Telekom Malaysia Bhd subsidiary three years ago for abusing his position to benefit an air force officer and for personal gain.

The manager, in charge of TM Technology Services Sdn Bhd’s aviation and maritime division at the time, saw his employment terminated after the company’s disciplinary board found him guilty of abusing his power to benefit himself and a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) officer with the rank of major.

Court chairman D Paramalingam said the company had proved on a balance of probabilities that the claimant was guilty of all six charges set out in the show cause letter.

“The offences committed were serious and called into question the claimant’s honesty and integrity. His designation as manager of the division is a senior position in the company, and he failed in his fiduciary duties,” Pamalingam said in an award handed down last week.

The court chairman added that by misusing the company’s funds and collaborating with the air force officer, whose wife owned a firm awarded a contract, the claimant had defrauded the company.

He said the company’s decision to sack the manager was commensurate with the wrongdoings committed.

The claimant, who had served for a total of 13 years with TM and subsequently with its subsidiary, was dismissed after a domestic inquiry held in 2023.

He was found guilty of misconduct, including by requesting annual Legoland tickets and open vouchers from Fraser Place Puteri Harbour in Johor — including a four-day, three-night stay in a deluxe room for the RMAF officer, and instructing the hotel to conceal the costs from its quotation.

He was further found guilty of keeping tickets for two adults and two children for his own benefit, violating the TM Code of Business Ethics.

Additionally, the claimant was found guilty of rigging a bidding process by asking a firm to submit three quotations, giving the company an unfair advantage when bidding for a contract — which the firm eventually secured.

He also awarded a contract to supply 100 souvenir mugs to the firm owned by the air force officer’s wife without declaring a conflict of interest.

Nur Zurain Mat Ramlee appeared for the claimant, while Subramaniam Anjan and Ainnur Anissa Abdul Razak represented the company. - FMT

Faith, order and the Asian reality

 The prime minister invoked India and China to stress a simple point: religious buildings require legal approval. Their experiences show why enforcement must be firm and measured.

When Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned against the “unchecked proliferation” of houses of worship, including those built under trees or in unauthorised locations, he added an important point.

Even in countries such as India and China, he said, places of worship may only be built on legally approved sites.

That comparison was deliberate: it signalled that Malaysia’s position does not stand outside regional norms.

The rule that sacred space must comply with land and planning law is not unusual.

It is standard practice across countries that take governance seriously.

But the way different countries manage this tension between faith and regulation offers important lessons.

India presents one path, China presents another. Neither offers a blueprint, both offer warnings.

India: law as shield — and battleground

India enacted the Places of Worship Act in 1991 to freeze the religious character of places of worship as they stood at independence.

The aim was to prevent historical grievances from spilling endlessly into modern disputes. The law sought to draw a legal line and protect public order.

That move showed foresight. It recognised that unresolved religious claims can destabilise a plural society.

Yet India also shows how disputes can shift into the courts and into politics.

Even with legal safeguards, contested sites have triggered prolonged litigation and street mobilisation.

Local politics often shapes enforcement. Court decisions sometimes settle matters, but not always public sentiment.

The lesson here is not that law fails. It is that law must operate within trusted institutions.

When people believe enforcement bends to political pressure, even sound legislation struggles.

India also reminds us of the importance of heritage protection. Many sites carry historical and cultural meaning beyond their religious function.

Preserving them strengthens national identity. Ignoring that dimension fuels resentment.

Malaysia can draw from this experience. Clear legal status matters, so does credible administration.

China: order through control

China approaches the issue differently. It requires strict registration of religious organisations and tightly regulates construction.

Unauthorised structures rarely survive long. The country exercises firm oversight over land use and religious activity.

This approach produces visible order. It reduces ambiguity and sends a strong signal that no religious activity falls outside regulatory frameworks.

But the cost is equally visible. Heavy control narrows religious space and places significant authority in state hands.

Communities comply, but not always with confidence.

Malaysia is not China. Nor should it seek that model.

Order achieved through rigid control may prevent disorder, but it can also suppress trust.

Still, China illustrates one reality clearly: governments that enforce land law consistently avoid the perception that sacred status overrides civic rules.

Malaysia’s middle path

Malaysia stands between these two approaches.

It does not freeze history in law as India attempted. It does not centralise religious administration as China does.

Instead, it operates within a constitutional framework that recognises Islam as the religion of the Federation while protecting the rights of other faiths.

That balance requires discipline.

Anwar’s warning about unchecked structures addresses a genuine concern.

When informal sites multiply without approval, authorities lose oversight. Landowners lose clarity, and communities lose predictability.

But enforcement must reflect Malaysia’s character.

This country thrives on negotiation, documentation and local engagement.

It resolves disputes through committees, not commands. That tradition is a strength, not a weakness.

Malaysia can succeed if it pairs firm standards with transparent process.

First, the federal government should define compliance criteria clearly and publish them.

When communities understand the benchmarks — land title, safety standards, planning approval — they can respond accordingly.

Second, authorities should handle long-standing cases differently from new violations.

History does not excuse illegality, but it does shape context. A shrine that stood quietly for 100 years requires careful handling, not abrupt removal.

Third, heritage assessment must play a central role. Some temples represent the journeys of plantation workers, traders and migrants who built modern Malaysia.

Demolishing such sites without review erases part of the national story.

Fourth, councils must apply standards consistently. A temple in one district cannot face harsher action than a similar structure elsewhere. Uneven enforcement breeds suspicion.

None of this weakens the rule of law. It strengthens it.

Why regional comparisons matter

By referencing India and China, Anwar reframed the debate. He reminded Malaysians that regulated worship is normal.

Sacred space does not sit outside civic order anywhere in Asia.

The comparison also tempers emotional reaction. It shows that requiring legal approval is not hostility toward faith. It is governance.

But comparisons also warn us against extremes.

India demonstrates how unresolved disputes can become political flashpoints. China demonstrates how excessive control can narrow space for trust.

Malaysia must avoid both traps.

It must enforce the law without theatrical displays.

It must regularise where possible. It must relocate only when necessary, and it must always communicate decisions clearly.

The aim is not to win an argument but to preserve harmony while restoring order.

A moment for measured leadership

Religious issues test the maturity of a nation.

They stir memory and identity, they invite opportunists to inflame sentiment, and they tempt governments to act quickly for the sake of optics.

Measured leadership resists that temptation.

If Putrajaya sets clear national standards and insists on consistent application, it will stabilise the issue.

If councils document decisions and explain them publicly, suspicion will fade.

India and China show that regulation is normal. They also show that trust determines whether regulation succeeds.

Malaysia’s strength lies in its plural society and its constitutional framework.

That framework already contains the answer: rights exist within law; law exists to protect rights.

Firm standards, careful execution and equal treatment.

That is the middle path.

And in a region where religion often collides with politics, the middle path is not weakness. It is wisdom. - FMT

 The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.