Hannah defies critics, won't step down despite dismal Sea Games outcome
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia's ambitious pursuit at the Sea Games ended in disappointment, with the country placing seventh out of the 11 competing nations – a rank never before reached – but yet, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh remains defiant, refusing to step down.
Instead, she needled on critics who demanded her resignation, calling them oblivious to the fact that the ministry has already predicted that Malaysia would win fewer gold medals which it had pointed out even before the country's contingent were sent to Cambodia.
"I think we have already said this since day one, even before we sent our athletes [to Cambodia].
"From the get-go we already know that we will be losing a lot of medals because a lot of the sports which we were good at were not put to contest," Yeoh remarked.
She addressed the matter during the Malaysia Contingent Performance Cambodia Sea Games 2023 Summary Press Conference at National Sports Council today.
Moreover, Yeoh emphasised that Malaysia's disappointing seventh-place finish, with 34 golds, 45 silvers, and 97 bronzes, underscores the crucial need for the government to invest in young athletes.
"I will not apologise for the decision to invest in young athletes. It is the right choice for Malaysia," Yeoh stated firmly.
She further explained, if young athletes are not given training opportunities, neither they nor the country will know their abilities.
"This is precisely what we did in Cambodia. For instance, we sent 63 young athletes to compete," said Yeoh.
Driving her point home, Yeoh highlighted the remarkable achievements of breakout talent, 20-year-old Umar Osman, who shattered national records in the men's 400m event.
"Many of our young athletes won bronze medals. With additional support and the right encouragement, we can help them shine," she added.
On that note, Yeoh announced that the ministry would begin scouting for new talents at the grassroots level, such as organizing swimming classes for B40 students.
"We will collaborate with other ministries like the Education Ministry and Higher Education Ministry as the best approach to introduce sports in schools and universities," she added.
Malaysia's crowning achievement in Sea Games of recent years was in 2017 where it won first place but has since then slumped on a declining trend placing fifth in 2019; sixth in 2021 and seventh in 2023.
The conference was attended by her deputy, Adam Adli, Chef De Mission of Malaysia's Sea Games contingent, Datuk Mohd Nasir Ali, and Tan Sri Norza Zakaria, chairman of the Sea Games selection committee.
