KUCHING: Sarawak shuttlers will compete in the Sukma Games, says state Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Hamzah amid the legal wrangle for the leadership of the Sarawak Badminton Association (SBA).
Karim gave the assurance that the badminton team will participate in the 21st Sukma Games that will run from Aug 17 to 24 in Kuching.
"I have already taken over the players' welfare and preparations," he said when asked if Sarawak would withdraw from the badminton competition due to the SBA leadership tussle.
"I will look after the players. I will not let anybody create problems that will affect the Sarawak badminton team.
"They can fight over the association (but) I will look after the players."
He said that as the minister who oversees sports in the state, he would like to see badminton and all other sports developed properly and not get truncated by any leadership upheaval.
On May 17, a Kuching High Court reinstated Nathan Laing as the president of SBA, Johnny Ng the secretary and Robert Lau, the treasurer.
Judge Datuk Alwi Abdul Wahab, in his ruling on the judicial review brought by Laing and his ousted office bearers, declared that the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) called by Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Hussein in 2022 was "improper and wrong in law" as it violated the SBA constitution.
The judicial review was brought against the Sarawak Regional Sports Commissioner, federal Minister of Youth and Sports Hannah Yeoh, and the three men who had taken over SBA—Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Hussein, Ting Ching Zhung, and Ting Wei Ping.
The ruling invalidated the amendments to the SBA constitution passed at the Aziz-chaired EGM. It also annulled the Sarawak Regional Sports Commissioner's endorsement of the "amended" constitution.
Alwi affirmed the validity of the EGM organised by Laing and his office bearers on Sept 18, 2021, and the annual general meeting (AGM) on Oct 3, 2021. He issued a mandamus order requiring the Sarawak Sports Commissioner and Yeoh to approve the EGM and AGM held by the eight applicants.
In a statement, Laing said the court's ruling "invalidates the approval of the flawed 2022 SBA constitution, highlighting the exclusion of seven rightful affiliates during the EGM and AGM."
He added that these members were improperly excluded from the constitutional amendment process, which was a clear violation of the constitution.
Laing's leadership seems far from over.
Karim said that he understands Aziz, a key figure in Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg's hydrogen programme, is filing an appeal. As the state sports minister, Karim said he will closely monitor the development.
TAGS: SUKMA, Sarawak, Badminton, shuttlers, team, SBA, Kuching, Abdul Karim Hamzah, state sports minister, NST, news, Malaysia
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