KUALA LUMPUR – Athletes and officials who fear backlash for reporting misconduct now have access to a confidential, multi-layered support system, complete with anonymous reporting channels and trauma counsellors, says National Sports Council (NSC) MACE secretariat head Datuk Shalin Zulkifli.
Speaking on Scoop’s Sport Check podcast, the former bowling queen explained that the Safe Sport initiative is built to give victims full control over their reporting journey, ensuring that speaking up does not automatically trigger a public ordeal or police involvement.
At the heart of this mechanism is a simple but powerful tool: a QR code.
“When somebody reports to us (through the QR code), it’s anonymous. So nobody will know. Not even the NSA (National Sports Association), not even my boss at NSC,” said Shalin, highlighting the system’s strict confidentiality protocols.
This anonymity is designed to dismantle the fear of reprisal that has historically silenced victims in the sporting world. Once a report is made, the power remains firmly in the hands of the person who came forward.
Shalin stressed that the MACE (Malaysian Athletes Career and Education) unit does not enforce a single path to resolution. Instead, it offers a spectrum of support tailored to the victim’s comfort level.
“Not all cases that come to us want to be reported as a police case,” she said.
“Some might just want us to have awareness sessions for their sport, so that it’s not obvious. Some just want counselling. They just want somebody to listen and not judge them.”
To facilitate this, MACE has a trained trauma counsellor on its team to provide immediate, professional psychological support.
For cases where a formal complaint is the desired route, the support continues. Shalin recounted instances where the process can be daunting for victims, and her team steps in to help.
“At certain instances and cases, we actually went with them to make the police report because sometimes it can be very intimidating,” she revealed.
From the first anonymous scan of a QR code to the possibility of formal action, the Safe Sport framework is designed to ensure that athletes are protected, empowered, and never alone. — August 1, 2025