KUALA LUMPUR: Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh reminded all national athletes to avoid taking shortcuts in their pursuit of wealth by engaging in unethical practices such as corruption or match-fixing.
She emphasised that victories in sports should be achieved with dignity and integrity, ensuring that success is both admirable and respected.
"We consistently uphold the Safe Sports Code, and I hope that recent incidents serve as a valuable lesson.
"I urge our athletes not to be tempted by such practices or to take shortcuts to get rich quickly," she said.
She highlighted the ministry's proactive measures to combat corruption in sports.
"Since last year, KBS (the Youth and Sports Ministry) has been collaborating with the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) to ensure not only badminton but all sports remain free from corruption and match-fixing," she told reporters after the National Women's Football League (LWN) 2024 Prize Presentation Ceremony at Stadium Merdeka last night.
On Friday (Dec 20), the Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced a 12-month suspension on former men's singles player Liew Daren and a three-month suspension for National Sports Institute analyst Jerry Gan after they were found guilty of engaging in betting activities.
The BWF confirmed that Daren had participated in betting activities from 2018 to 2021 and attempted to obstruct the investigation by concealing information.
Meanwhile, touching on the 2024 National Women's Football League (LWN), Yeoh congratulated the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) for the successful organisation of the league.
"Our Sports Matching Grant is normally awarded to one association. However, we have revised the conditions to allow associations to apply for funds more than once.
"So I hope the women's team will use the opportunity to get funds to make the National Women's League more successful," she said.
She also called for more sponsors to support women's teams with the potential to excel internationally and offered the Bukit Jalil National Stadium as a venue for their training and matches.
In the 2024 edition of the LWN, which featured eight teams, Kelana United FC emerged as champions after topping the league table, followed by Sabah in second place and Selangor FC in third place.