PETALING JAYA: The Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) has announced plans to develop a dress code of ethics for athletes concerning the use of the Jalur Gemilang, Malaysia’s national flag, on their competition attire. This decision follows a recent incident involving national badminton player Lee Zii Jia, who wore a jersey with the Malaysian flag stitched upside down during a high-profile tournament.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh emphasized the need for such a code to prevent future occurrences of similar issues. “So far we don’t have a code or order that we can use regarding the issue. I will ask the National Sports Council (NSC) to see what we can do to ensure this does not recur,” she stated after the International Safe Sports Symposium.

The incident at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals sparked controversy, prompting an apology from the shuttler’s jersey sponsor, Victor. The company has committed to investigating the error to prevent it from
happening again.

Minister Yeoh also highlighted the responsibility of athletes and their team managers to ensure their attire is appropriate and correctly represents the country. She stressed that the image of the Jalur Gemilang should be preserved, as it is broadcast to audiences both domestically and internationally.

In related news, Minister Yeoh announced plans to strengthen the Safe Sport Code next year. She indicated that the ministry aims to have more legal officers available to advise sports committees on safeguarding procedures.