The Youth and Sports Ministry has introduced the Safe Sports Code which is intended to safeguard the rights and welfare of the country’s athletes and sports community.
Additionally, Minister Hannah Yeoh announced the appointment of a safeguarding officer, Melissa Akhir, who will be placed at the National Sports Council (MSN).
"She is an experienced lawyer and gender expert and will carry out her role as a reference expert for the Safe Sports Code, providing advice and running advocacy programmes related to safe sports," Yeoh told reporters at the launching ceremony today, according to a report by Bernama.
"This code defines the types of misconduct that occur in sports based on international guidelines as well as local laws,” she added.
The code is a guideline for a safe sports environment that emphasises the roles and responsibilities of all parties in dealing with any form of harassment and abuse.
Yeoh said the code outlines the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders such as athletes, coaches, sports bodies, parents and sports-related organisations - as well as existing reporting mechanisms that all relevant individuals can use.
She expressed hope that this move would increase the public's knowledge and awareness of harassment and abuse in sports.
It is also intended to strengthen integrity in the governance of sports bodies and the national sports ecosystem - as a whole.
The code covers procedures to be adopted to handle complaints about harassment and abuse in the sports industry, in place of the proposed Safe Sports Act, which the ministry said will be introduced in the future.
Safe Sports Malaysia president Sarina Sundara Rajah lauded the move, saying that it honoured the courage of survivors and advocates who spoke out to expose abuse in Malaysia’s sports institutions, often at high personal cost.
"Their bravery has allowed us to understand what we must do to keep our athletes safe.
"We must also acknowledge the many victims and survivors who have not spoken of their abuse. Your silence speaks volumes for a variety of reasons," she told Malaysiakini.
She said the move shone a much-needed light on the struggle of our athletes being disregarded and maltreated by the system.
"This recognises the pain, suffering, and trauma inflicted upon victims and survivors and its profound and ongoing impact.
“As an advocate, I am happy that our work is attracting the need for increased protection.
"As a result, the Youth and Sports Ministry and various stakeholders created a code of conduct as a guideline for safe sports practices in a joint initiative," said Sarina.
She said that the newly introduced code is an essential building block towards the proposed Safe Sport Act itself.
"It offers a stepping stone to reducing the poor treatment of athletes. This instrument is necessary but intended to incorporate the implementation of legal and independent oversight.
“Accordingly, the Safe Sport Act and a Safe Sport Centre must accompany it," Sarina stressed. - Mkini
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