KUALA LUMPUR – Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh should have taken a firm stand on the issue of Malaysia’s kit for the Paris Olympics, according to sports analyst Mohd Sadek Mustaffa.
For context, the minister has been receiving backlash over the newly unveiled official attire (including shirts and tracksuits) launched at The Exchange TRX during Olympic Day Malaysia, on June 23.
With fans requesting that the Youth and Sports Ministry take action to change the design of the apparel, the minister initially responded on her X account, stating that the new official attire for the national contingent was outside the jurisdiction of her ministry and the National Sports Council, as it was the responsibility of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM).
Through her statement on X, the minister effectively distanced herself from the design, which was done by Yonex Sunrise.
For the record, Yonex Sunrise has been providing official team attire for OCM at all multi-sport games, beginning with the 2014 Olympics and culminating with the Paris Games throughout the four-year Olympic cycle.
However, recently the minister said she respected OCM as its primary stakeholder, citing a close working relationship with the body and respect for it as an institution.
Speaking to Scoop, Sadek said the minister should think twice before making statements to avoid backlash in the future.
“I totally understand that the minister was pressured when she started receiving backlash from sports fans, but she could have just apologised and said that she would fix the problem immediately.
“Instead of addressing the public as a minister, she shouldn’t have allowed others to speak on the matter.
“As the minister, she should be the first one to address issues like this because at the end of the day, the government and the minister will always have the final say in how the Malaysian contingent will look in international multi-sport events like the Olympics.
“How can a minister who threw OCM under the bus a few days ago say that she now respects OCM as an institution? Where was her respect for OCM before this?
“The minister should take responsibility and stand firm on issues like these in the future to avoid such a mess,” said Sadek.
Recently, it was reported that the organiser of the Olympic Day celebration, MY Creative Moments, issued an apology to OCM, the Sports Ministry and sports fans for any misgivings that arose after the kit launch.
The Paris Olympics will take place from July 26 to August 11. – June 29, 2024