Don’t discriminate medal winning divers, Terengganu

Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh wishes that the Terengganu government doesn’t discriminate its divers who won medals in the recently concluded SUKMA Games.

“The ministry hopes that the Terengganu government doesn’t discriminate on delivering winning incentives to both divers as they had contributed to the medals that the Terengganu contingent won. Every participated who represent the states in SUKMA had to go through a registration that was agreed upon by the state sports councils (MSN).”

She further added that Terengganu’s hardline approach against the divers attire would impact potential young athletes and the development of Malaysian sports.

“We are concerned with the directive from the state government that bars female athletes in certain fields as it may curtail many potential young talented athletes and create a negative impact on the overall national sports development,” she said on Facebook.

Controversy sparked off during the SUKMA Games when Terengganu’s Youth and Sports executive councillor Hishamuddin Abdul Karim was shocked to see two divers, Uzlifatil Jannah Ashraf and Ilyssa Ixora Imran winning medals since the Terengganu Sports Council had decided that no Muslim women can represent the state in diving since the attire doesn’t meet the dress code for Muslim athletes.

Terengganu made it a requirement athletes representing the state to wear shariah-compliant clothing in 2018. The Pas led government also banned Muslim women from gymnastics due to non- shariah compliant outfits.

Uzlifatil won two bronze medals and Ilyssa won one bronze.

Uzlifatil and Ilyssa will now be placed under the Malaysian Sports School programme which comes under Putrajaya’s purview.