KUALA LUMPUR – Local sports analyst Mohd Sadek Mustaffa hopes newly-minted Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh will tackle the racial disparity issue that persists within the sports industry.
He explained that many young athletes are isolated to a specific type of sports based on their racial background.
“If we are going to talk about a unity government, the new minister needs to peel the layers of racial disparities within the sports industry,” he told The Vibes.
“For example, youth programmes involving training and skills institutions under the Youth and Sports Ministry are mostly inhabited by the Malays, up to 95%.
“To what extent will the new minister be able to attract other races into these institutions and ensure there is balance in social and economic equality?”
Sadek, who is also a senior sports science lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara, also noted that sports have been demonstrated to be an effective tool in uniting the youth community.
However, since the last four elections, he said the youth has continued to be defined and categorised mostly according to their respective races and ethnic groups.
“Respect and tolerance are very fragile, especially if it has been treated badly by politicians since the last four general elections.
“Malaysia cannot afford to be playing with racial sentiments anymore or we are bound to break the unity among the youths, especially when they are representing Malaysia in international tournaments,” he added.
As unity is categorised by many layers – not only race. Sadek hopes that Yeoh would also consider transforming youth institutions that would be inclusive of their educational, social, and economic background.
In order to do that, Sadek also noted that Yeoh would need to understand the national sports policy, including the community and high-performance sports.
It is essential for her to recognise the focus and direction that she has to keep up with stakeholders such as the National Sports Council, National Sports Institute, as well as Education, Higher Education, and the Local Government Development Ministry. – The Vibes, December 4, 2022
