KUALA LUMPUR – The coach linked to the sexual harassment case involving national swimmers has been placed on leave until the investigation into the misconduct is completed, said Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
Hannah said that as soon as the report was received, the National Sports Council’s safeguarding officer met with the athletes involved to protect their rights under the Safe Sports Code, which was launched on March 15 of last year.
She stressed that appropriate action will be taken against the coach if she is found guilty in the ongoing police investigation.
“Receiving an email in the account is like a flying letter and when a police report was made, we immediately rested the coach to make sure the investigation continued.
“But if this (email) letter is correct, NSC will take immediate action… but if the reporting of all this continues and the (email) letter is not true, I can foresee legal action coming,” she told reporters after inaugurating the Safe Sports Code: Anti-Sexual Harassment in Sports seminar at the National Sports Institute in Bukit Jalil here today.
She also said that some national swimming athletes want the coach to continue guiding the team in preparation for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, which will take place from August 28 to September 8.
Hannah, however, said the NSC would first review the request before making a decision, especially since the safety of the national athletes is a top priority.
“As the police are conducting an investigation into allegations involving the coach, we cannot interfere, even though some athletes have requested that this coach continue to train them. This is a coach who has been with them since 2017… so, it’s been a long time.
“The athletes have requested (for the same coach to teach) because (they) will be competing in the Paralympic Games in Paris a few months from now, and they do not want their preparation for the Paralympic Games to be disrupted,” she said.
Meanwhile, Hannah confirmed that there were no new coaches available at the Paralympic Council Malaysia (PCM) to replace the coach.
A local media outlet previously reported that PCM confirmed that a coach had been investigated for sexually harassing minor athletes.
According to the report, PCM president Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharudin said that the governing body had filed a police report after receiving an email regarding the matter from the Malaysian Para Swimming Association last week.
NSC, on the other hand, insisted that it had never received a report or complaint from any of the athletes regarding sexual misconduct by the coach before the latest complaint on Tuesday. – February 29, 2024