Zan Azlee
COMMENT | There has been a bit of a debacle after the Terengganu government decided to bar women gymnasts from participating in gymnastics events, including at Sukma (Sukan Malaysia).
The state government is PAS-led and falls under the banner of Perikatan Nasional - the “Green Wave”.
I’ll bet you that they will say this issue should not be politicised, but it is so obviously politics.
Of course, it would be much more progressive if politics and governance focused on the more important issues of the economy, cost of living, corruption and even freedom of the media and expression, instead of the petty debate of attire in sports.
But life is such and it is very worrying if this type of policing spreads and becomes much more a part of our system and culture.
Terengganu’s move is archaic and extremely backward. This has no place if we want to be a progressive and forward-thinking country.
COMMENT | There has been a bit of a debacle after the Terengganu government decided to bar women gymnasts from participating in gymnastics events, including at Sukma (Sukan Malaysia).
The state government is PAS-led and falls under the banner of Perikatan Nasional - the “Green Wave”.
I’ll bet you that they will say this issue should not be politicised, but it is so obviously politics.
Of course, it would be much more progressive if politics and governance focused on the more important issues of the economy, cost of living, corruption and even freedom of the media and expression, instead of the petty debate of attire in sports.
But life is such and it is very worrying if this type of policing spreads and becomes much more a part of our system and culture.
Terengganu’s move is archaic and extremely backward. This has no place if we want to be a progressive and forward-thinking country.
This reeks of instances we hear and see in places such as Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia where women are oppressed and everything is just backward in general.
It is just ridiculous to see how the state suggested that all the gymnasts move on to a different sport.
It was reported that several of the state’s gymnasts had moved on to wushu, which is a totally different sport that gymnastics (although the attire is definitely much looser).
What is the logic for someone who has been training for years in one particular sport and then told to change to another unrelated sport?
That would be a total waste of their years in training and basically starting from zero again. I guess that’s why several other gymnasts in Terengganu just decided to retire and apparently ‘focus on their studies’.
What a shame that talent is just wasted just like that. It is also such a pity for these athletes who could probably have so much potential in an athletic career.
Try banning men
What’s surprising is that this form of oppression only befalls the women. How come there aren’t any restrictions like this for men?
How about men’s football? They tend to wear shorts and if religion is a reason, then that would be wrong too because they would be exposing their knees and that would be considered their aurat (modesty) which should be covered.
So they should just ban all men from taking part in football.
Athletics is another sport that should also face the same restriction. Have you seen how skimpy the shorts and singlets men wear in athletics? And what about their tight-running leggings or even onesies?
It’s so tight that you can see every shape of the legs and crotch. Nothing is left to the imagination. Shouldn’t we then ban all men from taking part in athletics?
Azeem Fahmi, who just made Malaysia so proud by winning the bronze in the 100m sprint at the 2023 Asian Games, should not be allowed to pursue his career any longer.
He should take up fencing instead where his entire body and face will be covered completely (obviously I’m just making a point here and not seriously believing that!).
And footballers should all take up judo instead because they wear a judogi or kimono. Oh but wait, after all of the pulling they do in the ring, sometimes their clothes get untucked and their stomach and belly button are revealed. I guess we should ban that too.
Moving backwards
My daughters are both gymnasts and do compete. I remember speaking to their gymnastics coach once before a competition.
Apparently, there were already compromises made to the rules, especially for competitions organised by the Youth and Sports Ministry as well as the Education Ministry, to encourage more people to participate for example allowing girls to wear shorts outside of their leotard.
But I guess that’s not enough for the Terengganu state government. But then again, how come it is enough for men?
Male footballers are allowed to wear long leggings under their shorts even if those leggings are figure-hugging and the contours of their knobbly knees can clearly be seen. Are there different standards between men and women?
It also seems like all these decisions were made by men. Even the statements regarding this issue in the news were all quotes from men.
Is this another way for men to assert control? Are there no women in the sports agencies or in the state government who can put forth any comments, opinions or suggestions?
If this is the case, then it’s confirmed that if we let this go on, we are really moving backwards.
We cannot allow this to develop any further or else we will eventually really become a Taliban state.
If this is what the “Green Wave” is all about, then we should be really worried and take active measures so that this ideology doesn’t propagate any further.
We all know how countries like Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia are when it comes to their treatment of women. It is dangerous.
Remember that it’s okay to be conservative, but there should be no compulsion and don’t impose it on anyone.
There is always a way and at the end of the day, we must not be lazy to engage and have thoughtful discussions so that we can be an inclusive and fair society.
ZAN AZLEE is a writer, documentary filmmaker, journalist and academic. Visit fatbidin.com to view his work.
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