KUALA LUMPUR: The Youth and Sports Ministry remained firm with its stand that all athletes are free to wear any attire they deem appropriate, and will not be forced into wearing Shariah-compliant sportswear.
Its minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said the same principle would also be applied to athletes who choose to cover up when taking part in sporting events, as long as they abide by the event’s rules and regulation.
“Our stand is that the ministry will encourage and advise the athletes (on what to wear) without forcing them. I suggest that before coming up with any new guidelines on the attires, all quarters should listen to the views of the athletes and the respective sports associations.
“And even if they decide to wear Shariah-compliant attires, we will still support them the same,” he told the Dewan Rakyat, here today.
“At the end of the day, their contribution to the nation is huge, and that is why I believe Malaysians will still support them regardless the choice of their attires.”
Syed Saddiq was responding to questions from Shaharizukirnain Abd Kadir (PAS-Setiu) on the government’s plan and effort to introduce Shariah-compliant attire for all sports activities and competitions that are organised domestically and internationally.
His statement comes just over a month after the Terengganu state government announced that it was drafting guidelines on Shariah-compliant attire and conduct for athletes.
Shaharizukirnain also argued that covering up when taking part in sports does not affect the performance of an athlete, citing Terengganu’s Azreen Nabila Alias as an example, after she won gold in last year’s Malaysia Games (Sukma) Women’s 100m even despite wearing the hijab.
Responding to this, Syed Saddiq said the athletes and the sports associations themselves would know what was best and most appropriate for them to wear.
The minister also condemned international events that bar the use of hijab, noting a recent incident in the US that saw a female runner disqualified from her high school cross-country race in Ohio for covering up.
“Such incidents will never happen in Malaysia, and we strongly oppose such practice. We will raise our stand to the relevant international bodies, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC),” he said.
