PETALING JAYA: Youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh has urged people to stop harassing Malaysian athletes over their sports attire after the debate over the attire of national divers was revived during the Paris Olympics.
“Leave our athletes alone with regards to their sports attire. Stop imposing your preferences on them. They have only one priority — to excel in their sports," she said in a brief Facebook post.
The issue of female athletes’ attire has often caused heated debates online, with some quarters criticising Muslim divers and gymnasts for not wearing shariah-compliant clothing.
In 2018, Terengganu made it a requirement for state athletes to wear shariah-compliant clothing, both at home and while participating in outstation events.
Four years later, it banned women from taking part in gymnastic events because of non-shariah-compliant outfits, forcing several Muslim female gymnasts from the state to retire from the sport altogether.
During the Paris Olympic Games, some netizens questioned national diver Nur Dhabitah Sabri’s sports attire, even suggesting that sports brands should release more shariah-compliant swimsuits.
Others have come to the diver’s defence, saying one should not judge Dhabitah just over her sports attire and thanking her for representing Malaysia at the Olympics.
Meanwhile, Dhabitah’s husband, comedian Aizat Ahmad Nazri, is reported to be planning to sue a social media user for editing and uploading fake lewd images of his wife.
Utusan Malaysia quoted Aizat as saying a summons had been issued to the person, whom he described as "having crossed the line".
Dhabitah, 25, finished last in the women’s individual 3m springboard final at the recent Paris Olympics, finishing with 244.80 points after five dives. That was her third appearance at the Olympics after competing in Tokyo in 2020 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
