Malaysian pencak silat team allegedly assaults referees after SEA Games dispute
The Malaysian pencak silat team allegedly assaulted referees and competition officials during the SEA Games competition in Thailand on Monday, December 15, saying the referee team favored the Thai athlete.
The incident took place during the women’s pencak silat Class B (50–55kg) quarter-final match between Jongthima Ruenthong of Thailand and Nor Farah Mazlan of Malaysia at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani, near Bangkok.
The bout ended in a 60-60 draw on points. After deliberation, the referees awarded the victory to the Thai athlete. The decision was reportedly based on the referees’ assessment that Mazlan committed more fouls during the match than her Thai opponent.
The ruling immediately triggered strong dissatisfaction among Malaysian athletes and coaching staff. They argued that Mazlan delivered clearer and more effective attacks and believed the judging favoured the host nation’s competitor.
Following the announcement, Malaysian national team head coach Siti Rahmah Mohamed Naser, together with Mazlan and several staff members, formally lodged a protest with competition officials. However, their objection was rejected.
Tensions escalated after the protest failed. Some members of the Malaysian team reportedly lost their temper and physically assaulted referees and several officials at the venue. Security guards were forced to step in to contain the situation and restore order.
As a result, competition at the arena was temporarily suspended. Organisers later confirmed that the referees’ original decision would stand and officially declared the Thai athlete the winner. The Malaysian team then left the venue, expressing frustration and disappointment over the outcome.
The incident drew reactions from Malaysian media outlets. A Malaysian news outlet criticised the referees’ performance and questioned their professionalism. The controversial result also raised concerns over transparency and fairness in pencak silat scoring, a sport that relies heavily on referees’ judgement.
However, the Malaysian media outlets stressed that violence is unacceptable and cannot be justified under any circumstances.
In a related story, another issue was reported yesterday, December 16, during a men’s 65kg pencak silat match between Nguyen Minh Tri of Vietnam and Muhammad Issu of Malaysia.
The Thai organising team was criticised for allegedly lacking proper medical equipment and for carrying the injured Vietnamese athlete off the field without a stretcher.
The Technical Chairman of the Pencak Silat Association of Thailand, Nakrob Thongdaeng, later defended the organisers. He insisted that medical standards were adequate and accused the Vietnamese athlete of deliberately remaining motionless to gain a scoring advantage.
Another SEA Games controversy also emerged on the same day during the Arena of Valour (AoV) e-sports competition.
Thailand’s female team withdrew after allegations that a player known as Tokyogurl used a prohibited application to allow another player to compete in her place. The accused player denied the claim, and the case remains under investigation.
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