The Malaysian Insight

YOUTH and Sports Minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu (Tambun-PH) said that his remarks about national diver Pandelela Rinong were “taken out of context”, adding that he would defend athletes who have faced sexual harassment. 

“What I want is to get a detailed explanation from Pandelela and all those involved in lewd jokes before taking any action,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He said that investigations are needed to protect young athletes when there are such allegations. 

“In line with that, I have instructed the ministry to intensify gender sensitivity training. I hope that athletes will also speak up immediately so that action can be taken,” Faizal said.

The minister was responding to Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman (Muar-Ind), who asked what the ministry’s response was to Pandelela’s allegations.

Faizal came under fire yesterday for questioning the timing of Pandelela’s revelation last week. 

“I am trying to understand why after a long time, Lela (Pandelela) wants to put this out on social media,” Faizal was quoted as saying.

National diver Pandelela revealed on Twitter that her one-time coach liked to make lewd jokes, but athletes could not do anything about him because he had the backing of the head coach.

She added that she was bullied as a result of speaking up against him, further alleging the coach committed rape seven years later. 

It was reported that the coach had since been fired, while the head coach’s contract was not extended.

In May, swimmer Cindy Ong told Malaysiakini how she had encountered sexual harassment and assault over the years, including from a national coach when she was a teenager.

Meanwhile, in a statement earlier today, Lim Guan Eng said DAP finds Faizal unfit to head a ministry after the minister downplayed Pandelela’s complaints.

Lim said, instead of investigating Pandelela’s revelations, Faizal chose to question why the two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist raised the issue after such a long time.

“DAP regards Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu as a sickening example of a man in authority who dismisses lightly complaints by women of sexual harassment, having questioned national diver Pandelela’s motives in bringing up an ‘old story’ about her former coach. 

“Instead of sympathising with her and investigating her shocking disclosures, Faizal has chosen to dehumanise and brutalise whistle-blowers, and the victims of sexual harassment and assaults.

“Lest he forget, these ladies are human beings, and not mere chattels or property to be used and discarded,” the DAP secretary-general said in a statement today. 

Lim said action must be taken to clean up sports and make it safe for women by “acting against the perpetrators, enablers and back-ups who covered up such criminal behaviour and imposed a climate of silence and fear on the victims for far too long,” he said.

Lim reminded Faizal that he also has daughters and granddaughters whom he would want to keep safe from sexual predators.

Meanwhile, in a tweet last night, Pandalela said she had shared her experience on social media recently to encourage future athletes to speak up against sexual harassment.

She said it was not her intention to seek popularity, more trying to create awareness of sexual misconduct in sports. – October 26, 2021.