Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said the case of a female cyclist, who was allegedly sexually harassed by a coach, will be handled by the National Sports Council (MSN)’s safeguarding officer.
Yeoh (above) stated that on the advice of the officer, Melissa Akhir, the ministry will not be meeting the victim to protect her identity.
“I have let the safeguarding officer handle the case because we (the ministry) have been informed that there is a confidentiality issue with the victim’s identity.
“I have not received any updates yet. I understand the police are still investigating the case,” Yeoh told reporters after attending the Safe Sports Code signing ceremony in Selangor today.
On March 30, a female athlete in her 20s lodged a police report against her own coach for allegedly sexually harassing her.
The Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) took immediate action by suspending the coach in question to assist in the investigation.
Two days later, Yeoh confirmed that the coach had resigned. However, she emphasised that the investigation will continue as it is an offence under the Penal Code.
On the other hand, Melissa was appointed as MSN’s safeguarding officer on the same day (March 15) the Safe Sports Code was introduced.
Yeoh said that Melissa is an experienced lawyer and gender expert who, as the officer, would provide advice and run advocacy programmes related to safe sports.
Similarly, the Safe Sports Code was implemented to safeguard the rights and welfare of the country’s athletes and sports community.
Among others, the code outlines the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders such as athletes, coaches, sports bodies, parents and sports-related organisations – and existing reporting mechanisms that all relevant individuals can use.
The code also covers procedures to be adopted in handling 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. - Mkini
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