KUANTAN: While the Youth and Sports Ministry welcome criticism of Malaysia's performance at the recent Hanoi Sea Games, it should be done constructively.
This was stated by the ministry's deputy minister, Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker who pointed out that the 36-gold medal target was set after consulting all the stakeholders and sports associations.
"It is not plucked out of the air or abruptly mentioned by the minister or ministry. Consultations were done based on the sports that were set by the host country, which had the advantage as they could choose the sports.
"The ministry welcome criticisms, but it would have been much better done when the target was set... criticisms should be constructive.
"The criticism on the target should have been done when it was decided during consultation and not after the events," he said in a statement after launching the Pahang-level Rakan Wira Mahir programme yesterday.
Lian Ker said the national athletes actually exceeded the target by bringing home 39 gold medals and deserve encouragement.
"Sixty per cent of the athletes at the games were competing for the first time in an international event while 40 per cent of them were below 21 years old," he said.
Former deputy sports minister Steven Sim had reportedly accused Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu of attempting to pass the blame to the athletes for the country's performance in the Sea Games.
The Bukit Mertajam member of parliament, who served during the Pakatan Harapan government, had called out the ministry for slashing the budgets for participation in international tournaments by 80 per cent in the 2022 Budget compared to the 2018 Budget.
Lian Ker said Ahmad Faizal had worked hard to regain what was not allocated in the budget, and it was unfair to blame the minister as the budget was set by the Finance Ministry.
"Criticisms should not be personal and the critics should not replay issues that have already been sorted out. Critics should not launch fresh attacks without basis or merely based on distorted facts which do not reflect the truth on the matter," he said.