AFF Suzuki Cup: Fate of Harimau M'sia will be known after Cabinet meeting - Khairy

The fate of the Harimau Malaysia as to whether the national football squad will continue playing in the AFF Suzuki Cup tournament in Myanmar will be known after the Cabinet meeting this Friday, said Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

This follows the Rohingya issue whereby the Muslim minority community in the that country is facing persecution with thousands reported fleeing their homes to avoid becoming victims of cruelty allegedly committed by the military.

Khairy said the matter cropped up following latest reports involving Northern Rakhine province in Myanmar on persecution of Rohingyas.

"I as the minister in charge will make a decision based on the guidance of the Cabinet. The Cabinet will meet on Friday and I will be raising this matter.

"This needs to be deliberated thoroughly, we have to get the views of the Foreign Ministry and also other parties before we make any decision," he told a press conference here today.

Khairy had earlier had a meeting with participants of MyCorps@Timur Tengah, an international outreach programme for Malaysian youths.

Meanwhile, Khairy, who is also UMNO Youth chief, said withdrawing the squad from the tournament needed be given due consideration as some held the view that politics and sports should not mix.

However, he said that if the reports were true, it was no longer politics but a humanitarian crisis.

"We (UMNO Youth) will voice out our concerns and this Friday together with several NGOs, will hand over a memorandum to state our stand to Myanmar's embassy in Malaysia.

"The most important thing that has to be done now is an independent probe by an international body, the best example being the United Nations," he said.

Myanmar and the Philipines were picked to host the group stages of the tournament, which started on Nov 19 and end on Nov 26.

Malaysia were drawn in Group B together with Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia.

Malaysia have played two matches, winning the first against Cambodia 3-2 on Sunday but went down 0-1 to Vietnam today. They will play their final group match against Myanmar on Sunday.

Meanwhile, UMNO Information Chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the party was of the opinion that the FA of Malaysia should make a decision whether to bring the boys back home.

He said the decision lay with FAM but he favoured a boycott of the tournament if the alleged atrocities committed by the Myanmar military on the Rohingya people were found to be true.

-- BERNAMA