A SECONDARY school in Batu Pahat, Johor, imposing racial and gender discrimination on extra-curricular activities is contrary to the goals and implementation of sports programmes in school, said Education Minister Mohd Radzi Jidin.

According to Radzi, sport is one of the most effective mediums that can unite people and encourage solidarity, and that he was shocked and saddened with the letter issued by SMK Dato’ Bentara Luar.

He said the Education Ministry had taken steps to stop the practice.

“Shocked and saddened when informed of the actions of a school that issued a policy for the selection of student sports activities according to race.

“When I looked at the policy, it crossed my mind: ‘Oh, why is that necessary? Let our kids play together no matter who they are’,” he said in a Facebook post today.

When it comes to sports, he said, people do not think about race, more do everything they can to win as a team.

“That is why sports is a vehicle that can create a strong sense of togetherness,” he said.

Even when it comes to supporters, he said that they do not segregate their support based on race but rise the occasion to support them as Malaysians.

Radzi noted some of the nation’s sporting achievements, saying it was built on the spirit of unity.

“Have we forgotten the greatness of the national football teams that qualified for the 1972 and 1980 Olympics?

“Do we still remember the excellence of the national hockey team that finished fourth in the 1975 World Cup?

“Didn’t we wake up cheering when the national badminton team won the 1992 Thomas Cup?

“The country’s great success at international level is built on the spirit of unity of one team,” he said.

Earlier today, Deputy Education Minister II Mah Hang Soon said that the school reversed an earlier policy on imposing racial and gender restrictions on certain extra-curricular activities.

Prior to which, Youth and Sports Minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican was challenged by a Twitter user about the issue, prompting him to condemn the school.

Reezal said the action of the school was inappropriate and backward, after Twitter user @sharwinsubra05 uploaded a picture of a letter, which contained a list of clubs and associations as well as sports open to one race.

The list stated that Chinese language club is only open to Chinese students, football (Malays), basketball (Chinese), table tennis (Chinese), netball (Malays) and sepak takraw (Malays).

However, SMK Dato’ Bentara Luar principal Abdul Razak Hamid reportedly defended the segregation, saying the move was driven by an apparent lack of space.

The school recently updated the policy, which no longer imposed racial or gender restrictions on any sport. – April 17, 2021.