ONE solution lies ahead for the future of Malaysia’s women’s sepak takraw which is contested at Asian Games and SEA Games levels – if the Malay Muslim community continues to debate endlessly on the attire of female athletes in the sports – perhaps it’s high-time for the Sepaktakraw Association of Malaysia to scout for talents among non-Muslims girls.
The national sepak takraw governing body can perhaps start with non-Muslim Siamese girls among Malaysia’s Thai community given their upbringing close to the Malay community may give them an edge over Chinese or Indian girls.
Or even naturalised Mat Saleh (Caucasian) girls for that matter given their height factor and energy level.
This came about as Muslims found themselves riled up in two camps – pro and contra – following a brief Facebook (FB) video by Takraw Syam of a tudung-clad Malay girl tekong (server) raising her right leg to whip the takraw ball over the net to perfection.
The poster has praised the service as “super serve” in his FB video which has generated 2.4 million views, 11,800 likes, 1,200 comments and 118 shares at the time of writing.
This promoted a woman commenter to tick off those who are inclined to behave like ustaz (religious teacher) for there is n way a female player can dress in the traditional baju kurung to play the sports.
How about just wear purdah and robe if the attire of the said tekong is still deemed lacking, asked another commenter.
“She didn’t even expose herself although no doubt that her wrists are a little big … but she’s playing sports, not clubbing,” fumed the netizen.
“Look at your own weaknesses first … you guys talk as if your wife’s and daughters aurat (female body parts that are not supposed to be exposed, particularly to non-spouse) are tightly covered … What’s wrong with my Malay brethren? Want to bring down your race?”
The response came about as a male commenter remarked that “it’s meaningless if (the aurat) is half-naked, half-covered”.
This led to another comment by another male commenter that sepak takraw as a sport “is not so appropriate for women to preserve their eastern heritage”.
“The whole body is wrapped in track pants and even a tudung… But the reaction seems a bit awkward … What if the clothing suddenly gives way or get torn?’
Ironically, a woman commenter concurred that sepak takraw is inappropriate for Muslim, alluding to the fact that she has fulfilled her “duty cautioning her fellow women folks of the sin they may have to re-pay in the hereafter”.
Another commenter opined that “covering up the aurat alone is insufficient if one’s clothing is tight”, hence the need to wear loose clothing to hide one’s original body shape except for the wrist and face.
To cut a long story short, one commenter has offered a brilliant idea – “constrain the audience and jury (referees) only to Muslim women”. – Sept 17, 2024
