SHAH ALAM - Former national badminton player Bong Guang Yik has apologised for the racist remarks he made.
In a video posted on his social media account, he said he felt compelled to share his opinion on the current state of badminton in Malaysia. He admitted, however, that he had crossed the limit when he spoke about race and religion.
"I want to apologise to everyone. The reason I shared that comment is because I am very passionate about the sport.
"I feel like I have a responsibility to try to improve the sport and the industry for the benefit of all.
"That's why I said all levels of management should be in good condition," he said, as quoted in a local media report on Monday.
However, Guang Yi explained that he should not have touched on racial issues.
"Therefore, I apologise again," he said.
Previously, Guan Yik, who is now in China, issued a racist statement through his TikTok account.
On Monday, the Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh had also criticised the racist statement made by the country's former shuttler.
Hannah said the results of a review conducted by the National Sports Council (MSN) and the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) confirmed that Guan Yik was only a former BAM trial player in 2014 and is not currently residing in Malaysia.