PETALING JAYA: The suspension of national hockey player Hanis Nadiah Onn by the Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) serves as a timely reminder that racist comments have no place in a multi-racial society like Malaysia, says Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.
"Respect for each other is the cornerstone of a society like ours, and as a national hockey player, Hanis needs to be held accountable for her comments," the former youth and sports minister said in a statement Friday (Feb 10).
"An athlete’s career is often brief, and it is hoped that Hanis receives the appropriate support from MHC and the National Sports Council (NSC) to ensure she does not repeat this mistake," he added.
Ahmad Faizal also noted that a rising number of inflammatory comments and posts on social media have cropped up repeatedly following the 15th General Election.
"The foundation of Malaysian society lies in the respect we have for each other, notwithstanding political, racial and religious differences.
"Everybody has a role to play in ensuring the respect we have is further nurtured. Let Hanis' experience be a lesson to us all," he said.
National women's hockey player Hanis was suspended indefinitely on Thursday (Feb 9) by the MHC following an internal investigation that found her guilty of making racist remarks about the AR Rahman concert at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil last month.
