Suhakam chairman Rahmat Mohamad said Malaysia, which is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, must ensure that the rights of children to take part in sports and recreational activities are recognised and respected.

He was commenting on the incident in which a coach slapped two players from the Melaka team taking part in the Under-14 Youth Volleyball Championship.

The licence of the coach, Saiful Hadee Amar, 44, has since been revoked and he will no longer be allowed to train in schools.

Rahmat said Suhakam supports the decision by the Malaysian Volleyball Association (Mava) to revoke Saiful’s coaching certificate which, he said, is a strong indicator that the government will not compromise on safety of athletes, especially young ones.

“It can also be seen as a guarantee that children and teenagers will not be harmed or shamed while participating in sports, cultural and artistic activities,” he said.

He said failure to handle such incidents properly may affect children’s emotions and cause them to be afraid to take part in sports.