Syed Saddiq: Human rights come first

Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman. – Bernama

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia prioritises human rights, says Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

That is the stand taken by the Youth and Sports Minister after the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) stripped Malaysia of the right to host the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships.

He said that if hosting an international sporting event is more important than standing up for Palestinians, that means Malaysia has truly lost its moral compass.

"We would like to kindly remind the IPC that even Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have reported that the (Israeli prime minister Benjamin) Netanyahu government is an active perpetrator of war crimes.

"As the leader of Israel, he represents the collective will of the Israeli government. The Israeli state is the locus of their collective moral actions.

"Malaysia stands firmly with our decision on the ground of humanity and compassion for the Palestinian plight. We will not compromise," he said in a statement issued to the press on Sunday (Jan 27).

The decision to revoke the hosting rights was made by the IPC governing board at its meeting in London, England on Sunday, after the Home Ministry said it would not allow Israeli para swimmers to enter the country and participate in the event.

Around 600 swimmers from 60 nations were expected to take part in Kuching, with more than 160 world titles up for grabs.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia would not allow Israeli Paralympic swimmers to enter the country for the championships.