KUALA LUMPUR – The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has slammed the individual who targeted national women's singles player, S. Kisona, with a racial slur on Facebook.
The Facebook user, Borhan Che Rahim, today issued an apology and tendered his resignation as deputy chief of Bersatu’s Pasir Puteh division in Kelantan, taking responsibility for his actions.
BAM had earlier today stated that it is utterly appalled by the racist remarks made towards Kisona.
“As the governing body of the sport in this country, BAM has zero tolerance for any form of racism or discrimination thus we absolutely condemn the remarks, and we will always stand up for our players.
“Such a dreadful remark is uncalled for, and we urge all Malaysians to condemn this senseless act.”
Kisona was the target of the netizen who derogatorily refered to her as “keling” on social media.
The Facebook post was taken down, but not before it had gone viral.
“We will continue to fight for the eradication of racism in sports, especially in the realm of badminton.
“We will uphold all initiatives that support progressive and inclusive nation-building,” BAM said in its staement.
In his statement, Borhan said that he made a mistake and fully regrets it.
“I would like to seek forgiveness from the player and also all Malaysians, especially Indians, for this regrettable posting.
“I didn’t mean to hurt anybody but a mistake is a mistake and I take full responsibility.
“I will change and be more sensitive moving forward. With that said, I would like to relinquish my position as deputy chief of Bersatu's Pasir Puteh division for the sake of upholding the good name of the party.”
Earlier today, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu also condemned the racist comments by the individual.
“Keluarga Malaysia (the Malaysian Family) is like a bunch of bananas, some are good, some are bad and some do not know how to use good language in talking about something.
“We are made up of Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazan, Iban and so on. Do not despise others because of race, skin colour or religion, more so those who are fighting to make Malaysia’s name famous,” he said.
Kisona was part of the Sudirman Cup team, which lost 3-1 to Japan last night in the semi-finals. She is being groomed by BAM for Paris 2024 Olympics.
Kisona, who turned 23 on Friday, is currently world number 53. – The Vibes, October 3, 2021
