PUTRAJAYA: The government has reiterated its stand not to allow Israeli athletes to compete in the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships in Kuching that will take place from July 29 to August 4.
Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said if the Israeli squad remain defiant and still want to take part in the championship, then it will be wrong.
"We will not allow them… If they come, then it is an offence.
"If they want to withdraw the championships’ hosting rights from Malaysia, then they can try to do so,” he said during a press conference after chairing the cabinet special committee meeting on anti-corruption, here, earlier today.
Dr Mahathir said this following Malaysia's action of barring Israeli athletes from taking part in the championship which has resulted in objections from the Israeli Olympic Committee who are continuously piling on the pressure for their athletes to be granted visas to compete.
The championship is vital for qualification into the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.
The Malaysian Paralympic Council, as the championships’ organisers, are said to be facing a tough situation following the ban towards Israeli athletes.
Yesterday, Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said that Malaysia will not allow Israeli athletes to enter the country to take part in the championship.
He said that this is because Malaysia has a very clear foreign policy when it comes to Israel.
"Therefore the government will maintain its firm stance on this issue as protest over the continued oppression of the Palestinian people,” he stressed.
Report by Irwan Shafrizan Ismail, Mohd Iskandar Ibrahim and Hashini Kavistri Kannan