It has been nearly a year since the Federal Territory Amateur Fencing Association (FTAFA) was handed a two-year suspension by the Malaysian Fencing Federation (MFF).
Unhappy with the suspension as it never received a show-cause letter, FTAFA appealed to the national body and, subsequently, to the Sports Dispute Committee.
The Sports Dispute Committee is an independent body under the Sports Development Regulations (Sports Disputes Committee) 2022 to manage and resolve internal disputes of sports bodies without interference from the government or the Youth and Sports Ministry.
The Sports Dispute Committee fixed a meeting with the parties on Oct 2, 2024, but the Malaysian Fencing Federation requested a postponement on the day itself.
Six months later, FTAFA president Badroel Rizwan Bahar wonders when the association will get justice.
“We received the suspension notice in May, yet the letter stated that the disciplinary committee had found us guilty at a meeting on March 8,” said Badroel Ridzwan.
“The letter also stated that the MFF did not inform us earlier out of respect for the fasting month and Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations. As such, the suspension is from May 13, 2024, to May 12, 2026.
“We were not issued a show-cause letter. The Malaysian Fencing Federation breached the principles of natural justice and our right to a fair trial. We should have been given the right to defend ourselves against the allegations.”
The MFF cited three reasons for the suspension:
• FTAFA organised the ‘Sunway Mall Fencing Grand Prix Circuit’ without approval and without applying for a sanction letter from MFF.
• FTAFA did not follow the constitutional governance of the Sports Commissioner’s Office by holding its 2023 Annual Meeting despite only sending the association’s required information up to 2021.
• FTAFA accused MFF of falsifying the minutes of an Exco Meeting (No. 5/2023), even though a clear explanation was given at the Exco Meeting (No. 6/2023) on Nov 6, 2023.
“We have evidence to clear our name. We have filed our appeal, but MFF has not revoked the suspension. We attempted to discuss the matter with the Sports Commissioner’s Office and the Olympic Council of Malaysia, but they were unable to assist us. As a result, we filed a complaint with the Sports Dispute Committee,” Badroel said.
“After passing the Sports Dispute Committee the paperwork, we got a date – Oct 2, 2024 – but on the day of the hearing, MFF informed the committee it could not attend the meeting.
“Subsequently, the Sports Commissioner’s Office informed us that MFF had requested the Olympic Council of Malaysia to mediate the dispute.”
The Sports Commissioner’s Office is the secretariat for the Sports Dispute Committee.
An officer from the Sports Commissioner’s Office confirmed with Twentytwo13 that the Sports Dispute Committee received a letter from MFF requesting the Olympic Council of Malaysia to mediate the matter.
“The former OCM secretary-general (Datuk Mohd Nazifuddin Razak) wrote to us on Nov 15, informing that OCM will help mediate the case,” said the officer.
“I will write to the new secretary general (Datuk Mohd Nasir Ali) and inform all the parties when they can discuss the issue,” the officer added.
Mohd Nasir was elected to the post on April 19, at OCM’s 44th Annual General Assembly.
Twentytwo13 has reached out to MFF and is awaiting its response.
