Just within walking distance from Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown, a gathering took place earlier today.
It included a deputy minister, a diplomat, and a couple of basketball players, who made their presence felt at the iconic Malaysia Basketball Association building, in Jalan Hang Jebat.
They were there to witness the launch of the ‘Sport in Enhancing and Promoting Authentic Diversity for Unity’, or SEPADU.
The initiative is organised by the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT), in collaboration with the United States Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
Those present at today’s launch were Malaysia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Datuk Mohamad Alamin, US ambassador to Malaysia Brian McFeeters, SEARCCT director-general Datuk S. Ganeson, former Women’s National Basketball Association player Chinny Nwagbo, and several cagers from the Harlem Globetrotters.
Basketball has been used as a tool for diplomacy, especially by the US government, for decades.
Yet, such a programme is not new. There have been initiatives carried out in the past, more of one-off sessions that created some buzz, but left participants wondering what’s next.
In fact, the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, in 2018, brought two American skateboarders – Jimmy Cao and Cheryl Jumao – to Kuala Lumpur, and later, Kota Kinabalu, to share their love for skateboarding with like-minded people here.
Nothing has been heard about the skateboarding scene in Malaysia since.
Perhaps, the only silver lining to Cao and Jumao’s visit to Malaysia then was that they got enthusiasts talking about the skate ramp at Taman Botani Negara in Shah Alam, Selangor, located some 30km from Kuala Lumpur. Their visit got local veterans in the scene wondering why the ramp was left to rot.
This time around, the aim is to cultivate positive social skills in youths through sports and keep them away from violence and extremism. Ironically, this comes two days after the US was rocked by another mass shooting in Allen, Texas.
Malaysia, and the Southeast Asian region, have had their fair share of terror threats in the past, but the Royal Malaysia Police have, to date, managed to tackle the threat posed by terror groups like Jemaah Islamiyah, Abu Sayyaf, and Daesh, not to mention local gangs and organised crime syndicates.
It would be naive to think that these threats have been eliminated. We must assume that these groups are still actively recruiting, and that their sleeper cells in Malaysia and across the region are just waiting for the right time to strike.
As such, it is only natural to use sports to promote development and peace. This is common worldwide.
To say sports is an essential tool for promoting peace and unity is a given. However, there must be more to such initiatives rather than empty rhetoric.
Swat Youth Front and Kafka Welfare Organisation, both based in Pakistan for example, have been known to use sports as a tool to address violent extremism and help victims to get their lives back on track. Studies have also shown that sports can be used for crime prevention.
Nevertheless, this will only work if there is a sustained and systematic approach.
One-off programmes certainly tick the right boxes but they merely give the organisers bragging rights – that something has been done in the name of sports diplomacy and sport for development and peace.
If Wisma Putra and SEARCCT want to see results, they should organise long-term programmes with Malaysia’s Education, and the Youth and Sports Ministries. Not only would this allow them to achieve their goals, it would also help unearth talents in the country.
Once a strong, nationwide programme in schools is up and running, foreign entities can come in to ensure that there’s a transfer of knowledge, and that lessons can be learnt.
A sustained campaign will benefit the locals and further strengthen ties among the concerned parties and nations. This will yield real results.
In this instance, what happens next, remains to be seen. Judging from past initiatives, SEPADU could end up being nothing more than just another programme.
Main image from Datuk Mohamad Alamin / Facebook
