KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 — The Malaysian contingent’s official attire, introduced by the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), will not be used in the July 26 Paris Olympics opening ceremony, said Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
The public had criticised the costumes as “ugly” and “uninspired”.
She said there is another set for the event and that her leadership of the Youth and Sports Ministry should not be compared with that of her predecessor Khairy Jamaluddin, as every minister runs their team differently.
“His time (Khairy) was his way and every leader has a different way. I respect OCM as a stakeholder. Reading the comments, (some) thought this is the parade uniform, (but) there is another set for athletes. We have shared the views of the ministry with (OCM president Tan Sri) Mohamad Norza (Zakaria).
“We have to respect OCM and their sponsorship contract with Yonex and I leave this to Norza. I believe he can solve it so when we go to Paris, we walk as a team and the world at large doesn’t see us as OCM nor the ministry, but that we are all there to uphold the name of Malaysia,” she said after launching the National Women’s League or the 2024 football season at Lalaport, Bukit Bintang, here today.
Khairy, who led the ministry from 2013 to 2018, talked yesterday on a podcast about his role in organising the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.
Hannah insisted that there was no need for deputy chef de mission (CDM) Datuk Nicol Ann David to replace Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin as CDM.
Meanwhile, Hannah urged police to release investigation findings on the acid attack on Selangor FC footballer Faisal Halim.
“So long as police have not announced the findings, it not only perturbs the Sultan of Selangor, I have heard the opinions of many, sports fans too, that they want justice and to know the progress of the investigation.”
Yesterday, Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said he was disappointed and saddened by the decision of the Malaysian Football League (MFL) and members of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM, especially its president Hamidin), regarding the fine imposed on Selangor FC for failing to play in the Charity Shield match on May 10.
Sultan Sharafuddin said he was upset with MFL’s latest decision, which he considered irresponsible, made without compassion, inhumane and showed no concern for the cruelty that had occurred.
— Bernama
