Youth and Sports Ministry wants probe into alleged racist remarks by national hockey player

PUTRAJAYA: The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) has asked the National Sports Council (MSN) to investigate a national female hockey player who allegedly made racist remarks on social media recently.

Minister Hannah Yeoh also urged the MSN to get help from the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) to investigate the matter.

"Once I get the opinion from MSN, we will decide. So today the MSN will discuss with MHC, I have also informed Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal (MHC president)," she said at a press conference in conjunction with the sports industry town hall session at Menara KBS here, Tuesday (Jan 31).

An Instagram account holder using the @niezhanis handle, believed to be a national women's hockey player, allegedly left a racist comment on an Instagram post related to the “AR Rahman: Secret of Success Live in Malaysia 2023” in Bukit Jalil National Stadium recently.

After realising her comment had gone viral and sparked anger among internet users, she posted an apology in an Instagram Story on Tuesday.

"I Hanis Nadiah Onn, a national hockey player, with humility and responsibility would like to apologise for deliberately posting a comment on Jan 28,” she said in the post.

She said she realised that the comment had caused many parties to be affected, adding that she had since deleted the comment.

"Throughout my 10-year involvement in hockey, I am surrounded by friends from different races who are constantly fighting for Malaysia.

"I regret my carelessness and again I apologise to those affected," said the 26-year-old player who helped Malaysia win gold medals at the 2015 and 2017 SEA Games. - Bernama