The way veteran sports journalist Haresh Deol was attacked – with one of 3 assailants filming the assault – shows the intention to intimidate. I echo media groups in defending journalists’ rights to report safely and independently, and that the authorities investigate this swiftly and transparently.
This incident also raises questions about sports governance in Malaysia. Governance goes beyond the running of sports bodies – an essential component is welfare and safety: of athletes, facilities, officials and support personnel, reporters, and supporters.
Overlap of influence and interests in sports
Full disclosure: I’ve served as president of the Selangor Rugby Union (KRS) since 2024. While studying in Hong Kong, I picked up rugby. A friend connected me with the SUKMA 2018 Selangor women’s rugby team which was seeking funding. My continued advocacy of sports, especially rugby, led to me being asked to consider the responsibility.
Bluntly speaking, if a sports association doesn’t have a few million in the bank, few want the job. Someone told me, “Sukan selain bola sepak adalah sukan derita.” This line captures the funding imbalance in Malaysian sports, and the preferential support football enjoys – an imbalance highlighted in the FIFA scandal Haresh was covering.
This imbalance has also contributed to sports administration becoming the playground of the monied and the titled. (As a politician in a sports association, I’m fully aware of the irony in saying this.) The unspoken expectation: the “bigger” your patron/committee members, the more funding you can attract.
The overlap of influence and interests can pose ethical risks. Furthermore, large allocations at the top do not guarantee meaningful support. They get lost in administrative layers, prestige projects, or selective programmes, while associations and community clubs struggle for funding and facilities.
For example, the national rugby stadium. In 2015, then-sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin proposed the idea, but things didn’t materialise. In 2019, KBS earmarked RM17 million for a 5,000-seat complex in Putrajaya. In 2023, KBS returned the funds to the Ministry of Finance (MOF), citing budget overruns.
Till today, Malaysia Rugby must spend about RM100,000 annually to use public universities’ facilities for national team trainings. Selangor teams rely on Padang Astaka Petaling Jaya – 1 of 3 public rugby fields in the Klang Valley.
Safety in sports and media is non-negotiable
As someone who follows Haresh’s work and opinions on Twentytwo13 and X, he consistently challenges us to rethink sports standards. What safety standards are we willing to accept in Malaysia’s sports ecosystem?
The chilling effect is real. Footballer Faisal Halim’s acid attack in 2024 remains unresolved. During that time, 2 of Faisal’s peers were attacked: hammer-wielding men smashed Safiq Rahim’s car windscreen, while robbers attacked Akhyar Rashid outside his home.
These acts of violence affect everyone in sports. Parents may hesitate to allow their children participate because of safety concerns unrelated to the sport itself.
If we believe that sports unite Malaysians, then we must unite to demand better governance and the non-negotiable right to safety for all.