KUALA LUMPUR: Safe Sport Malaysia (SSM) president Sarina Sundara Rajah today urged authorities to take action not just against the coach but also Melaka Under-14 girls' volleyball team officials.
The Melaka coach drew criticism after a video of him publicly slapping two of his players during a competition in Johor went viral recently.
The Malaysian Volleyball Association has temporarily suspended the coach and was investigating the matter. The Youth and Sports Ministry and Education Ministry have also launched their own investigations.
Sarina said the Melaka team officials must also be held accountable for the incident.
"In the video, you can clearly see that there is another Melaka official, possibly another coach, who was standing close to the coach who had slapped both girls," said Sarina.
"When it happened, the other official did nothing. He did not confront the coach and essentially allowed it to happen.
"The expression from the girls, as well as the lack of reaction from the other official would suggest that they were already used to this kind of behaviour from the coach.
"Suspending the coach alone is not enough, these enablers must also be held accountable.
"This is another reason why it is so important to get the (proposed) Safe Sport Act passed as it would enforce mandatory reporting of such incidents when they occur."
Sarina has been a vocal proponent of the proposed Safe Sports Act which despite receiving the backing of former Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu during his time in office, has yet to be passed in parliament.
SSM's objective as an organisation, she said, was to build a sports community where participants can train, compete and thrive without fear of physical, psychological or sexual misconduct.