KUALA LUMPUR: A Discipline Committee (DC) that was set up to investigate an alleged sexual harassment case brought up against a Malaysian Amateur Athletic Union (MAAU) official, found him guilty of unwarranted behaviour and not sexual harassment.

The findings of the case was announced yesterday by MAAU President Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim in the presence of MAAU Executive Board members after a special meeting with the DC which lasted for an hour.

“The Discipline Committee which concluded their investigation after almost two weeks, deemed the official’s action as unwarranted behaviour, not sexual harassment and the official who is pursuing his studies overseas now, would not be considered for any overseas assignments until further notice,” he told reporters here yesterday.

“Unwarranted behaviour can be termed as calling someone in the middle of the night or inviting someone to go out late night without being accompanied by a chaperon.”

The MAAU official who accompanied athletes to the Taiwan Athletics Open in May was alleged to have sexually harassed a female liaison officer (a Malaysian student in Taiwan) during the meet.

The matter came to light when six Malaysian athletes who competed in the meet submitted a complaint letter to the National Sports Council (NSC) dated

June 23, alleging that an official had invited the liaison officer to his room, presumably to talk on team matters but instead behaved in a manner tantamount to sexual harassment.

Among those who signed the letter were Roslinda Samsu, Norjannah Hafiszah Jamaluddin, Tan Song Hwa, Yap Jen Tzan, Nurul Sarah Abdul Kadir and Siti Fatimah Mohamad.

The MAAU subsequently appointed Women’s Committee Chairman Datuk Paduka Mumtaz Jaafar to head a team to conduct an internal investigation and the findings were later submitted to the DC.

Shahidan said though the complaint letter was not signed by the liaison officer, the DC, headed by the Olympic Council of Malaysia vice president Prof. Datuk W.Y Chin, Negeri Sembilan AAA President Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad, Penang AAA secretary S. Govindarajoo and lawyer Thalia Rahaina Abdul Latif decided to conduct a thorough investigation.

The MAAU President however did not name the official, claiming that he (official) had through his lawyer, requested the MAAU to withhold his name or identity.

— Bernama