KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has stressed that there is no room for hooliganism or violence in sports, particularly football, as such behaviour goes against the spirit of sportsmanship.
He said sports should serve as a unifying force among Malaysians of all backgrounds and must not be tainted by unruly or divisive conduct.
“Everyone supports their team or their state or their province, but that does not allow them to create chaos and tolerate hooliganism. So we’ll make a difference. Don’t import that culture of hooliganism in sports as you read and see and watch on television from the experience of other countries,” he said in a speech during the groundbreaking ceremony of Olympic House here, today.
Also present was Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
Anwar said while passion in sports was natural, it should not be used to justify behaviour that contradicted the values of sportsmanship.
“People cry when they win and they cry when they lose. You know, which means you cannot deny the passion. But it does not warrant them to take actions which run contrary to the spirit of sportsmanship,” he said.
He added that greater tolerance was needed, as “intolerance runs contrary to the very spirit of sports — which is about bringing people together, embracing differences, and sharing a deep passion.”
Anwar also highlighted the unique role of sportsmanship in uniting Malaysians across racial lines, noting that such values were often absent in politics.
“There’s no language in politics for sportsmanship. Politics is where you kill one another — I mean, not literally, hopefully. But only in sports, not in culture, not in the arts, not in economic rivalry.
“But in sports, there is this term called sportsmanship, which essentially means you must work hard, try to excel and win — but also accept that the best man, woman, or team will win. And that is the spirit of sportsmanship,” he said.
Reflecting on Malaysia’s past, which was at times marked by racial antagonism, Anwar recalled how sports like football and badminton served as powerful unifying forces during those difficult periods.
“It doesn’t matter whether he’s Malay, Chinese, Dayak or Indian — we consider them all Malaysian. And that’s what I feel we need to promote. But of course, we also need to excel.
“So everybody’s waiting — under Hannah and now with Norza (Olympic Council of Malaysia President Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria) — where we expect at least one gold medal from the Olympics. Otherwise, they’ll be in trouble,” he said jokingly.
Sharing a personal anecdote, Anwar said he often advised his grandchildren, who sometimes got upset after losing in games like chess or football.
“I said, I told them that’s not the spirit. The spirit of course, is to win, but the sportsmanship, the term sportsmanship is such a value-laden term. You do try your best, you try and excel, but you accept it (loss) in a sportsman’s fashion,” he added. — Bernama
