PETALING JAYA: Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh received mixed reactions from netizens following her Instagram post praising Thai badminton star Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who defeated Malaysian shuttler Lee Zii Jia in the Paris Olympics semifinals.
Kunlavut secured a silver medal after his loss to Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen, while Zii Jia earned a bronze medal in the third-place match.
Yeoh’s Instagram post, which included a photo of her with Kunlavut, congratulated him on his achievement and expressed admiration for his playing style.
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“I enjoy his style of badminton so much. So calm and collected. He has a new fan in me!” Yeoh wrote in the post.
Netizens were not happy, with many accusing the sports minister of being insensitive.
One user called fzeyma92 commented, “Is this how a youth and sports minister acts? Not patriotic at all. This is not the time for you to show your cute side fangirling other players.”
Another user called smn_88 found the post tone-deaf, urging her to delete it: “You are a minister, representing Malaysia. If you are a regular person, it’s okay. Please delete.”
Despite the criticism, some defended her gesture.
One netizen called fionashinyee commented: “It’s so disheartening to see so many negative comments, when the post simply celebrates the success of our opponent - a move to show sportsmanship and friendship. I see only grace and grandeur. So much to learn from a post that’s so neutral, real and human. Sports are supposed to build friendships and bridge differences.”
Similarly, another user called alanafields4566 commented: “There is nothing wrong with this. Sports is about respecting your opponents.. some of you are so shallow.”
Her post about Kunlavut followed an earlier Instagram update in which she congratulated Zii Jia on his bronze medal.
She had also commented on the debate about Zii Jia’s association status, suggesting that discussions on the topic could wait: “Can we as a nation just pause for now and celebrate the fact that this young man has come a long way, picked himself up and now made it to the Olympics podium?”
