Malaysian pencak silat team allegedly attacks referees after SEA Games loss
In footage circulating online, a woman who appears to be from the Malaysian pencak silat team rushes at one of the referees just after a tight loss during the 33rd SEA Games.
She gets in the referee’s face and seemingly shouts at him before several men separate her from him.
Source: @ThaiEnquirer on X
As the men escort her away, she suddenly grabs the jacket collar of one of them and throws him to the ground. Following this, onlookers gasp and scream.
Additional people nearby get into the fray to separate the woman from the man she threw down.
Source: @ThaiEnquirer on X
Several men in ‘gis’ motioned to the onlookers to stay away to prevent further confusion. Despite this, a few onlookers broke through the barricade.
A couple of police officers also stepped in to mediate before tensions seemed to die down.
Controversial loss to host country
According to TVSarawak, a Malaysian news outlet, the incident took place after a tight match in the women’s pencak silat Class B (50–55kg) quarter-finals between Jongthima Rueanthong of Thailand and Nor Farah Mazlan of Malaysia.
A replay of the match, available on YouTube, also shows a separate view of the aforementioned dispute and begins with the Malaysian athlete in the lead, 41-34.
However, the Thai eventually caught up, and the match ended in a tie, 60-60.
Source: SEA Heritage & History on Facebook
According to Matichon, a Thai news outlet, the judges then awarded the Thai the win because the Malaysian had committed more fouls during the match.
The Malaysian team disputed the decision, saying their athlete was the more proactive fighter. They claimed that the judges did not award points for several of her attacks.
“Many inside the hall felt Farah won, but the judges did not award her any points,” said Malaysia’s National team manager Bibi Aishah Golbal Shah. “If we look at the videos, it is clear the judges did not give the marks and were biased towards Thailand.”
The confrontation eventually got violent.
Confronted referee is Filipino
Although the altercation briefly suspended competition inside the arena, the decision to award the win to the Thai stood.
According to One Sports, the referee seen in the clip was a Filipino jury member. In an interview, Philippine Pencak Silat president Princess Kiram addressed the situation.
“Maybe it was because the emotions were super high, but it’s not an excuse to be violent,” she said. She also revealed that the jury member landed in hospital after being thrown to the ground.
To ensure the safety of Filipinos during the competition, Philippine Olympic Committee president Bambol Tolentino met with the host organisers on Tuesday (16 Dec).
Meanwhile, the Malaysian team seems more content with the officiating following the violence.
“The scuffle was not about trying to attack the judges, but to issue a warning,” said Bibi Aishah. “Today, the judging looks better.”
Also read: Cambodia withdraws from SEA Games amid rising tensions with host Thailand
Cambodia withdraws from SEA Games amid rising tensions with host Thailand
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Featured image adapted from @ThaiEnquirer on X.
