KUALA LUMPUR: Former Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin and his Keluar Sekejap podcast co-host Shahril Sufian Hamdan have hit back at Hannah Yeoh, defending their criticism of the Youth and Sports Minister in handling the Malaysian team's performance during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Khairy and Shahril, in separate Instagram posts, said their remarks about Yeoh were milder compared to their criticism against other public figures.
They took exception to Yeoh's comments that it was inappropriate for the massage chair brand Gintell to sponsor their podcast, as well as her claim that the pair had suggested she should interfere in the Olympic Council of Malaysia's (OCM) affairs, despite its autonomy.
"If you have a problem with the relatively mild comments made about you (you should see what others say elsewhere), maybe respond substantively to those comments.
"Unlike some, we take ownership of what we say and don't 'tai chi' (passing the buck) or drag in other parties," Shahril said.
Khairy, who is also the former youth and sports Minister, echoed Shahril's sentiment, saying Yeoh should have addressed their comments directly instead of involving Gintell in the issue.
"Don't be so petty and thin-skinned. We call out Prime Minister (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim regularly, but he remains calm and steady," he said.
The disagreement began when Khairy urged Yeoh to be more proactive and challenge prominent figures in national sporting associations, rather than acting like a "tai chi" minister.
The former health minister argued that it was insufficient for the minister to say that the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) was elected by its members, describing it as essentially passing the buck.
Khairy referenced a Facebook post by Yeoh where she said that one of her goals as minister was to place the right people in the right positions, though she lacked the authority to remove individuals elected by others.
In response to Khairy's remarks, Yeoh stated that she could not interfere with the OCM's leadership due to its independence and autonomy in developing, promoting, and protecting Malaysia's Olympic movement.
Yeoh maintained that refraining from interfering with the OCM was not passing the buck but adhering to principles of good governance.