PUTRAJAYA — Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim has called upon all stakeholders within the sports industry to embrace and uphold the Safe Sport Code (SSC).
His comment comes in the wake of a disturbing incident where a futsal player assaulted a referee during a KL Futsal League match on Tuesday.
Adam said the SSC, launched by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh in March, aims to transform sporting spaces into environments that protect individuals not only from physical harm but also from psychological distress.
“We see that there are plenty of complaints and incidents that happen in sporting spaces and we do not want that to happen.
“So we are hoping for more serious cooperation from all sectors of the sports industry to ensure sports becomes a safe space.
“That is not only applied through small rules or in terms of the law but instead made into a moral code that can be upheld together with jointly agreed values,” he told the media when met after an activation event to promote Pesta Rakan Muda Mudi here today.
Adam also hopes that future incidents akin to the referee assault incident can be prevented, as society collectively strives to transform sports facilities, competitions, and training centres into a safe haven for all.
Yesterday, Safe Sport Malaysia founding president Sarina Sundara Rajah condemned the act of aggression or intimidation towards referees and emphasised the need for their protection.
In response to the incident, the police have identified the suspect, in his 20s, who allegedly assaulted the referee, would be called in to assist in the investigation soon.
Petaling Jaya district police chief ACP Mohamad Fakhrudin Abdul Hamid said today that the case is being investigated under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt.— September 4, 2023