KUALA LUMPUR – Former national rhythmic gymnast, Sarina Sundara Rajah, hopes that the Budget 2022 − to be tabled on Friday in Dewan Rakyat − will focus on developing a long-term plan to deal with sexual harassment and abuse within the sports fraternity.
She added that the plan would require proper enforcement for the cycle of abuse to end.
“We can have all the policies and guidelines we want, but if there is no enforcement, it’s no use. We need a long-term plan to help prevent this from happening again,” said Sarina, who advocates for athletes to have a safe sporting environment.
Safe Sport Authorisation Act 2017
Unlike developed countries such as Canada, New Zealand, US and Singapore, Malaysia has had little experience dealing with sexual harassment and abuse in sports, Sarina told The Vibes.
The two-time gold medallist added that the ability to recognise such cases “not only involves Youth and Sports ministry (KBS) leaders, but also the media in helping to generate more awareness on such matters.
“Although many people (Malaysians) don’t know what it’s about, international organisations, such as the International Olympic Committee, have Safe Sport guidelines to protect the athletes’ wellbeing.
“My budget wishlist is for KBS to make a visible transformation and drive change. I’ve been advocating for the Safe Sport Act since Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s time as minister,” said Sarina.
“We need to take action before it’s too late”
Sarina was a gold medallist for the 1998 Commonwealth and 2001 SEA Games.
She insists that relevant sporting bodies need to educate athletes to recognise what is acceptable and what is non-acceptable behaviour in coaches and trainers.
“We don’t have a comprehensive set of guidelines for athletes,” Sarina told The Vibes, speaking from personal experience as a survivor of sexual harassment and abuse.
“I’ve gone through the system. I know what to do, by going to the police station and filing a report. But to go through the various steps can be very traumatising, it takes a lot.
“Take Datuk Pandelela Rinong, why it took her so long (to come out with her sexual abuse posts via Twitter).
Dulu saya ada seorang coach ni suka buat lawak lucah, saya buat diam je tak pun fake laugh sebab takut dia. Pernah sekali tak tahan saya tegur dia, tapi kena buli balik. 7 tahun kemudian dia buat kes rogol. #rapejokeisnotfunny
— Pandelela Rinong (@Pandelela_R) October 21, 2021
“We are not properly educated on how to face such a situation. Most of the time, we just react, and that happens years after the incident. By that time, it’s too late.”
Sarina said that as a national athlete, people take note of her plight, but such atrocities do happen to lesser-known figures, who may lack the courage or strength to speak out because their voices would largely go unheard.
Sarina’s sentiment on this matter being tabled by KBS for the Budget 2022 is equally shared by Fina World Masters seven-time gold medallist, Cindy Ong.
National diver, Pandelela Rinong wants equal support for state, national level
Meanwhile, Pandelela hopes that the Budget 2022 provides equal support for sports at both the state and national level to ensure that new talents, for diving especially, can be nurtured through state-run programmes.
“For the past couple of years, and because of the pandemic, the national team has been struggling to get coaches and sports equipment because of the restricted budget, which made it difficult (for us) to maintain past achievements as we weren’t able to train at some point.
“Other state divers suffered the same fate − or even worse. Hopefully, next year’s budget will help with recovery in the sports industry, as we will be training for major competitions, such as the world championships, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Sea Games, with high targets to achieve” added Pandelela.
Former National swimmer, Cindy Ong insists on third-party intervention
“I wish to see a third party formed to handle any form of sexual harassment," says national swimmer, Cindy Ong.
“The hiring process of coaches should no longer be under the sole discretion of the sports association or National Sports Council. It should be open and transparent.
“Additionally, we need to include master athletes under our umbrella and organise more races on the grassroots level to encourage a wider participation,” Cindy added. - The Vibes, October 27, 2021
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