Former youth and sports minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu has dubbed the suspension of national women's hockey player, Hanis Nadiah Onn over her alleged racial remark as a timely move.
The former minister’s view is in contrast to his ally, PAS Youth Chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, who called for the suspension to be lifted.
"The suspension is a reminder that there is no place for racially charged comments in multiracial Malaysia.
"Mutual respect among all races is the basis of our society, and as a national hockey player, Hanis should be held responsible for her comments," the Bersatu deputy president said in a statement today.
Yesterday, Fadhli called for the Youth and Sports Ministry to withdraw Hanis' indefinite suspension from representing the country.
According to the Pasir Mas MP, the suspension, which would see Hanis miss out SEA Games 2023 in Cambodia in May, could affect the athlete's future and the national team's chance of winning a medal in the tournament.
He further urged Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh to intervene in the matter and call for the suspension to be lifted.
'Nothing new'
On that note, Faizal (above) said that Hanis' remark was "nothing new" in today's context.
"Divisive messages are spreading like wildfire on social media - from 'subtle' racist comments in editorials to statements that insult other races and religions.
"In the recent general election, the terms 'Taliban' and 'religious extremists' were uttered indiscriminately," he said.
The former Tambun MP urged the National Sports Council (MSN) and the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (KHM) to provide the necessary support for Hanis, despite her suspension.
"An athlete's career expectancy is usually short, so it is hoped that Hanis will receive the relevant support from MSN and KHM, so she would not repeat the same mistake."
Yesterday, the Youth and Sports Ministry announced that Hanis has been suspended over her alleged racist remark about a concert featuring famed Indian composer AR Rahman, held in Kuala Lumpur last month.
The 26-year-old got into a bind after leaving a comment on an Instagram post related to the concert, implying that it must have been "smelly" in the venue, given the 70,000-strong crowd.
Following a backlash, she deleted the offensive post, posted an apology and said that during her decade-long involvement in hockey, she was “surrounded by friends of all races who fought for Malaysia”. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.