Controversy Over SEA Games Silat Judging – Malaysian Team Involved in Conflict

The Malaysian silat (Malay martial arts) team at the Southeast Asian Games was allegedly involved in a physical altercation with referees and event officials, reportedly due to dissatisfaction over judging decisions. The incident has attracted widespread attention.

According to Malaysian and foreign media reports, the incident occurred on the 15th of this month. At the time, the women’s Class B (50 to 55 kg) silat quarterfinals were being held at an arena in Muang Thong Thani, a suburb of Bangkok, Thailand. The match pitted Malaysia’s 27-year-old Norfarah Mazlan against the host nation’s 22-year-old Chontima Luangthong.

According to Thai media 'Thaiger', after a fierce contest, both sides were tied at 60-60. After discussion among the panel of judges, and based on tiebreaker rules, as Norfarah had more fouls, victory was ultimately awarded to the Thai athlete. This decision immediately sparked strong dissatisfaction among the Malaysian delegation, who believed Norfarah's attacks were clearer and more effective, and questioned the impartiality of the judging in favor of the host nation's athlete.

Following the announcement, Malaysia's national head coach Siti Lamah, along with Norfarah and several team staff, formally lodged a protest with event officials, which was ultimately rejected.

After the protest failed, the atmosphere at the scene quickly intensified. Reportedly, some Malaysian team members lost their tempers, chasing and loudly berating officials in the arena, and were even accused of physically attacking referees and officials, forcing police and security to intervene and causing a temporary suspension of the competition.

Subsequently, Philippine Olympic Committee president Tolentino issued a statement pointing out that, in the 2025 SEA Games silat event, a Filipino referee had been attacked by a Malaysian coach, but fortunately suffered no serious harm. The Philippines has formally lodged a protest with the SEA Games organizing committee.

The organizers later confirmed that the original decision would stand and officially declared the Thai competitor the winner. The Malaysian delegation subsequently left the venue, expressing their dissatisfaction and disappointment with the result.

The incident also drew attention from Malaysian media. Some reports questioned the professionalism of the judging panel, and raised concerns over the transparency and fairness of scoring in a sport like silat which relies heavily on subjective judgment. However, these reports also emphasized that any form of violence is unacceptable and cannot be justified.