KUCHING: The Sarawak government has decided to bar athletes from Israel from taking part in the Kuching 2019 World Para Swimming Championship scheduled from July 29 to August 4.
Minister of Tourism, Art, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the decision was also in line with the national policy to bar Israeli athletes in sporting events in the country.
“This question (to bar) athletes from Israel is a national policy, and the state government has to follow because we don’t want to become a laughing stock by allowing them when the national policy is to bar them,” he said yesterday.
The decision to bar athletes from Israel was also discussed in cabinet meeting yesterday.
Earlier, the Minister launched the countdown to Asean International Film Festival & Awards 2019 (AIFFA 2019) at Waterfront Hotel, here.
Sarawak has to abide by the policy because the event was applied through the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (NPC Malaysia), he explained, adding that this was totally unrelated to the state’s powers to exercise its immigration autonomy by allowing athletes from Israel to
participate, as posted in the social media.
“This is a national policy that we must follow and has nothing to do with immigration autonomy,” he added.
