PETALING JAYA: It wasn’t quite the Will Smith slap that was heard around the world, but it was loud enough to get a lot of attention here.
Ministers have condemned it and an investigation will be conducted after a Melaka volleyball coach allegedly slapped his teenage charges.
An independent investigation of the incident is set to be held to determine if such harsh training methods are the norm, said Hannah Yeoh.
In a tweet yesterday, the Youth and Sports Minister said she had discussed the matter with Education Minister Fadhlina Siddiq, and her ministry wanted to know if violence in training was practised in the team.“We must learn from this, improve and ensure (there is) no repetition,” she said.
Yeoh said it was wrong to slap girls or boys.
“In fact, slapping anyone is wrong. Malaysians must stop normalising physical abuse as a means of behavioural compliance – wrong on kids, athletes, spouses or maids!” she tweeted.
Yeoh also expressed her disappointment with the coach, whose acts were seen in a viral video.
The Education Ministry said it will meet the parents of the two teenage girls who were allegedly slapped by their volleyball coach.
“The ministry takes the matter as reported by the media seriously.
“It will provide full cooperation to the police should a report be lodged on the matter.
“At the same time, the ministry will conduct its own investigation for disciplinary purposes and if (the coach is) found guilty, appropriate action will be taken,” it said in a statement.
The ministry reiterated that ensuring the safety and welfare of students was always its priority.
The incident reportedly happened at a school in Johor involving the girls category of the Under-14 Junior Volleyball Championship on Dec 16.
The Melaka team took on Johor in the match for third place.
In the video, which was streamed live on Facebook, a man said to be the Melaka coach is seen slapping two of his players during a break after they conceded points to their opponents.
On Sunday, the Malaysian Volleyball Association said in a Facebook post that the coach had been suspended from all volleyball-related activities and it had launched a probe as soon as the matter was brought to its attention.
