Suhakam wants children’s rights courses compulsory for coaching licences

 

Suhakam has suggested that children's rights courses be a requirement for coaches and physical education teachers to take as part of the conditions for obtaining licences to coach students.

Its chief commissioner Rahmat Mohamad said this in reference to an incident where the Malacca under-14 girls’ volleyball team coach was caught slapping two of his players during a live-streamed tournament last month.

"If similar incidents are not dealt with appropriately or quickly, children may become fearful of participating in sports activities," he said in a statement today.

Rahmat (above) pointed out that Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 states it is the responsibility of the state party to respect and promote a child's right to engage freely in leisure activities.

On Jan 12, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh and Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek announced that the coach’s coaching licence was revoked by the National Sports Council and the Malaysian Volleyball Association.

Suhakam expressed its support for the revocation, saying that the decision shows how children's rights are taken seriously by both ministries.

“This is a firm signal to all coaches and teachers that both ministries will not compromise the safety and well-being of athletes, especially young ones.

"This decision is also seen as a guarantee that children and adolescents will not be abused and humiliated by any party when participating in sports, arts or cultural activities,” Rahmat added.

Report abuse

The human rights commission also recommended that all parents and guardians report cases of abuse by coaches or teachers to the police, along with the youth and education ministries as a collective effort to deal with such issues more proactively.

A clip of the incident, which occurred during a tournament in Johor on Dec 14 to 16 last year, went viral and caused a public uproar.

The coach, Saiful Hadee Amar, previously issued a public apology, stating he only wanted to raise his players' spirits, not harm them.

During the investigation conducted on the 44-year-old, the father of one of the players asked the public to forgive the coach, claiming that his daughter did not regard the situation as abusive. - Mkini