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Safe Sport Malaysia calls for proactive policymaking to prevent sexual abuse cases in schools

Asafe sport advocate in Malaysia has questioned the effectiveness of the nation’s recently introduced Safe Sport Code, saying it does not provide adequate protection and remedy mechanisms to victims of abuse.

Safe Sport Malaysia president Sarina Sundara Rajah spoke out after Twentytwo13 published a report yesterday that several young boys were allegedly sexually assaulted by a teacher, who is also their badminton coach, in a secondary school in Kuala Lumpur.

Sarina urged the authorities to develop and implement a holistic framework that protects and respects privacy while empowering abuse survivors to exercise their rights and to speak out.

“This happens when we do not stand up against abuse in sports,” said Sarina.

“Although many people talk about doing the right things, it often requires moral courage, great diligence, and taking extra steps that many people are not willing to take,” added the former national gymnast, who had previously championed a Safe Sport Act.

“Malaysian sports have made efforts to implement safeguards, but the current Safe Sport Code is lacking in its ability to provide adequate protection and remedy mechanisms. We are dealing with a systemic issue, and prevention requires proactive policymaking, not reactive action.”

Sarina said stakeholders must connect efforts to address sports abuse with evidence-based strategies.

“Too often, we stay downstream, handling one problem after another, but we must go upstream to fix the systems that caused the problems,” she added.

The Safe Sport Code was drafted during Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu’s time in office as Youth and Sports Minister.

Ahmad Faizal was to have presented the first draft of the Safe Sports Bill last December, but the matter did not see light following a change in government in November 2022.

Ahmad Faizal’s successor, Hannah Yeoh, launched the Safe Sport Code in March, as she believed there is adequate legislation and that introducing a new law would be time-consuming.

In April this year, 60 entities from the Education, and Higher Education Ministries signed their commitment to implement the Safe Sport Code.

Last month, the Education Ministry revealed that it was finalising new guidelines to address sexual harassment and bullying in schools.

Sarina added that a third-party oversight committee is necessary to drive the required systemic change.

“We need an independent reporting and adjudication mechanism to ensure that any allegations of abuse or misconduct are dealt with impartially and transparently, free from political interference,” said Sarina, a certified International Olympic Committee Safeguarding Officer in Sport.

“There is a growing concern that the increased secrecy and deference surrounding these cases can further perpetuate abuse. Silencing victims only aggravates trauma and prevents critical voices needed to educate the public and bring about structural changes that promote a Safe Sport environment.”

She added that the limited amount of publicly available information on these investigations could lead to claims of inadequate due process.