KUALA LUMPUR: Athletes and coaches are encouraged to speak their mind for the betterment of sports in the country, said Deputy Sports Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim.
"The freedom to voice opinions is to ensure check and balance in the industry," he said when met at the National Sports Complex Panasonic in Shah Alam today where he officiated the Malaysian Premier Futsal League.
"The one good thing about sports is that, most of those involved have their own strong opinions because they are passionate and always want the best for their field, so I am not worried about that," said Adam.
"The sports section in the newspapers always has strong opinions but this is to ensure there's check and balance, to rectify things that aren't right.
"However, some governing bodies do impose fines and restrictions on athletes and coaches when they make negative remarks.
"I cannot comment on this because that's the opinion of the respective sports organisations, but as a principle, we always encourage everyone in sports — athletes, coaches and such — to use whatever platform (they have) to voice out their interest," said Adam.
On Saturday, KL City coach Bojan Hodak was upset with their inability to comment on poor refereeing quality as that could lead to a fine from league administrators — the Malaysian Football League.
The MFL have previously said they do not object to complaints but urged coaches and players to do so through proper channels and not through the press.
However, following the City Boys' draw after a 2-2 finish against Penang in their Super League opener at KLFA Stadium, Hodak pointed out that "freedom of speech" should apply for betterment of the game and industry.