Khairy pans Hannah's explanation of SEA Games results

Former youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin has criticised the explanation by incumbent minister Hannah Yeoh for the lacklustre performance of the Malaysian contingent at the recent SEA Games.

The Malaysian team had won just 34 gold medals, short of its goal of 40. 

Khairy said Yeoh should own up to the outcome even if she was not fully responsible. 

"I became minister in 2013. Not even a year later, we had the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. 

"At both events, we failed to achieve our target. I apologised even though I did not need to, and despite having been minister for only a year," he said in his "Keluar Sekejap" podcast yesterday. 

Yeoh, at a recent press conference, had blamed political instability for Malaysia's performance at the SEA Games in Cambodia. 

The national contingent brought home 45 silver medals and 97 bronze in addition to the 34 gold, finishing in seventh place. 

Yeoh, the Segambut MP, was appointed as youth and sports minister by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Hang Tuah Jaya MP Adam Adli Abdul Halim meanwhile was appointed as her deputy. 

Khairy also criticised Yeoh's statement that she would not apologise for the SEA Games results. 

"I understand what she was trying to say about changes in policy because there were too many ministers over the past two to three years," he said. 

"Perhaps this had some effect, but to immediately talk about political instability is a bit distasteful," he added. 

Khairy was appointed as youth and sports minister under the administration of Najib Razak, a position he held until the collapse of the Barisan Nasional government in 2018. 

During his time at the ministry, he oversaw the Myanmar SEA Games in 2014 and the Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016.

He said it was a norm to send young athletes to the SEA Games, and that Cambodia's move as host to drop the sports won by Malaysia was no reason to miss the gold-medal target.

The former Rembau MP said the minister in charge should ensure adequate policies, allocations and preparations for the sending of athletes to sports tournaments. 

"We look at the athletes' performance and help make projections for them," he added. 

"We need to discuss these with the National Sports Council. All of this is the responsibility of the minister. We need to make sure that our reserve athletes reach the level where they can win at the SEA Games."