KUALA LUMPUR – Women and children are often the targets of sexist, discriminating, and inappropriate comments online.
The latest onslaught has been against national gymnast, Farah Ann Abdul Hadi, who has fallen victim to cyberbullying after sexist comments were made on social media with regards to her attire at the Tokyo Olympics.
Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president, Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria, told The Vibes that athletes should earn our respect and not our ridicule for all the hard work and unimaginable sacrifices they have made to get to where they are.
He added that it wasn’t fair for us to hurl unwanted comments at athletes, such as Farah Ann.
“If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all,” he said.
Norza added that these cyberbullies inadvertently hinder the progress of Malaysian sports by hampering the younger generation from getting involved in sporting activities.
“We need to inspire the youth. All cyberbullying does is dissuade parents from encouraging their children to participate in sports. It needs to stop,” said Norza, who is with the Malaysian contingent in Tokyo.
Former OCM secretary-general, Datuk Sieh Kok Chi, added that costumes worn by athletes were designed to impress the judges – not the spectators – to garner additional points for presentation.
“Since no one is forced to watch a sporting event, and as each sport is held in accordance with the rules, why is there so much fuss about what Farah Ann wears at the Tokyo Olympics?” questions Kok Chi.
He said that Farah Ann should ignore such narrow-minded individuals and be proud of what she has achieved thus far.
“They are expressing themselves in this way because they are unhappy with what you can and have achieved in your sport”.
Kok Chi goes on to say that “the best thing you can do is ignore those comments that can diminish your confidence”.
“Only a certain group is doing this. The rest of Malaysia is proud of you so keep up the good work,” said Kok Chi.
Meanwhile, the youth arm of the Federation of Reproductive Health Association Malaysia (FRHAM) strongly condemns the sexist and inappropriate comments made against Farah Ann, which have been circulating online.
This is not the first time that the debutant Olympian has been targeted by such online remarks. In 2015, she was scrutinised for her dressing by political figures and religious leaders, who deemed it “too revealing” and “inappropriate for Muslims” despite bringing home a total of six medals at the 2015 SEA Games.
The NGO said in a recent statement that awareness campaigns and strong policies need to be urgently tailored to curb this endemic.
“This (recent turn of events) calls for an immediate reassessment of our education and awareness on issues relating to gender inequality, abuse, exploitation and harassment, especially against women, in Malaysia. No woman should be subjected to, or be subject to, the humiliation and oppression suffered by Farah Ann at the hands of these online abusers.
“She is waving our (Malaysian) flag on an international platform. If anything, we should be rallying behind her, and offering her our support, to bring home that precious Olympic medal we long desire.
“We call upon every societal actor, from religious leaders to politicians, to strongly condemn this intolerable behaviour by our fellow Malaysian netizens. Such inappropriate, explicit, and ridiculous comments should elicit legal ramifications for the perpetrators.
“Authorities and policy makers must address this immediately, and with deep concern, as (this behaviour) mirrors the image of our society,” said the NGO. – The Vibes July 27, 2021
