Syed Saddiq removes ‘bathtub’ post following backlash

PETALING JAYA: Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who posted a photo of himself soaking shirtless in a bathtub on social media, has drawn criticism from Malaysians.

The Youth and Sports Minister has since removed the post from both his Twitter and Instagram accounts.

The photo showed the 25-year-old, who became the youngest ever minister in the country, immersed in cold water therapy after a friendly football match that was held in conjunction with Hari Sukan Negara 2018 on Saturday (Oct 13).

Syed Saddiq, on his Twitter account, had exposed his well-defined abs to his 613,000 followers by posting a picture of himself soaking in ice water in a bathtub.

“After scoring the golden goal, (I) immediately soaked myself in ice. Good game @dugongallstars,” he tweeted.

Some Malaysians, however, described the post as unbecoming of a minister.

Syed Saddiq's Choice team had played against Dugong Allstars, a team made up of local celebrities, on Saturday afternoon.

His team won the match 4-3, with the minister scoring the decisive goal.

It is common practice among athletes to soak themselves in ice water after training or after a competition.

The therapy is said to provide relief for muscle pain and soreness.