YOUTH and Sports minister Hannah Yeoh has criticised a massage chair brand for sponsoring the an episode of the popular political podcast “Keluar Sekejap,” hosted by politicians Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Hamdan.
The podcast episode in question discussed the role of a youth and sports minister and implied that the minister should take an active role in the Olympic Council of Malaysia’s (OCM) affairs, a suggestion Yeoh found troubling.
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Yeoh took to Instagram to express her displeasure, calling the sponsorship “distasteful.”
She said, “I find it distasteful,“ emphasising her disapproval of the company’s decision to align with the podcast’s controversial message.
She wrote: “I find it distasteful of you to sponsor a podcast implying the Minsiter should proactively interfere with @olympicmas (Olympic Council of Malaysia) and putting photos of Tan Sri Norza and Tunku Imran and labelling Tunku as ‘big beast’.”
Additionally, she voiced her concern over the use of the Olympic rings to convey a message she believes is inconsistent with the Olympic charter.
Further commenting on the brand’s association with the podcast, Yeoh stated, “Your massage chair is now seen as the perfect platform for armchair critics (no pun intended).”
“Would love to hear from you,” she concluded.
Her riposte comes following former Youth and Sports Minister Khairy’s comments on the “Keluar Sekejap” podcast, urging Yeoh to actively engage with key figures in sports associations to improve Malaysia’s performance following the Paris Olympics.
He had said: “If a minister practices taichi saying, ‘I didn’t appoint them; someone else made the choice’ -referring to the Olympic Association or the Malaysian Olympic Council being elected by all sports associations. Then, saying ‘I can’t do anything’ is not going to cut it. You are the minister.”
