PN Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said it was unnecessary to suspend Hanis since she had already made an open apology over her remark made on social media and deleted the comment.

She had reportedly posted a comment on an Instagram posting of a recent AR Rahman concert, implying that the venue would have been smelly.

“I strongly condemn Hanis’s suspension.

“The investigative committee itself was told (by Hanis’s coach, Nasihin Nubli Ibrahim) that Hanis was humble and highly disciplined in training and tournaments,” he told FMT.

The Pasir Mas MP also said Nasihin had confirmed that Hanis had many hockey friends who were Indians, adding that she was close to them.

“This means that she did not have any intention to bring up racist elements, as alleged by some netizens,” the PAS Youth chief said.

He urged youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh to step in and rescind Hanis’s suspension, saying he believed she would exercise wisdom in handling the matter.

Fadhli is in charge of the youth and sports portfolio in PN’s shadow cabinet.

Earlier today, the youth and sports ministry announced that Hanis had been indefinitely suspended from the national team over the racist remark.

It confirmed that she will not join the national team for the upcoming SEA Games in Cambodia.

The ministry added that the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) would review Hanis’s suspension if she showed a positive change in behaviour.

An investigative committee, helmed by the National Sports Council (MSN) and MHC, had summoned Hanis on Feb 7 and she had admitted to posting the comment.

According to the ministry, Hanis said she had no racist intentions when posting the comment, which she described as a “joke” and reference to the stadium being filled with tens of thousands of spectators.