KUALA LUMPUR: Winning Malaysia's first Olympic gold medal is more important than the design of the official attire for the Malaysian contingent, said chef de mission Datuk Hamidin Amin in response to criticism of the attire unveiled on Sunday.
Hamidin, also president of the FA of Malaysia (FAM), defended the attire, labeled as ugly and uninspiring by critics, explaining that the Olympic Council of Malaysia's (OCM) partner Yonex adheres to standard operating procedures for attire design.
The design was agreed upon jointly after Yonex presented several options to the council, and was approved by the OCM executive board.
"I don't see it as too bad but we have taken note of the criticism," Hamidin said, adding that he proposed a design competition for the next cycle, which OCM president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria agreed to in principle.
Addressing concerns about the Jalur Gemilang logo on the attire, Hamidin clarified: "The logo on the left is not the Malaysian flag but the country's Olympic logo, designed with the flag at the bottom and the Olympic rings."
Hamidin also noted that feedback from athletes and former Olympians influenced the new colour scheme and redesign of the tiger stripe motif.
"Our mission in Paris is to hunt for the country's first gold, so that is why we decided to use gold as the main colour," Hamidin explained.
"With 31 days left until the Olympics, the media and fans need to support our athletes, not question small things like this. There is no point having nice attire but not winning gold."