Members of the Malaysian pencak silat contingent were involved in a physical altercation with referees following a controversial quarterfinal defeat to host nation Thailand at the 33rd SEA Games on Tuesday.
According to VnExpress, the incident occurred after Malaysian athlete Nor Farah Mazlan drew 60–60 with her Thai opponent in the women’s Class B (50–55kg) category at the Impact Arena.
Officials subsequently awarded the match to the Thai fighter based on a tie-breaker rule, citing that Nor Farah had committed more fouls during the bout.
Confrontation turns physical
The decision sparked immediate frustration within the Malaysian camp, who disputed the judges’ assessment and claimed the scoreline did not reflect the flow of the match.
Team officials argued that Nor Farah had been more aggressive and effective in her attacks but felt her efforts were not adequately recognised by the judges.
Malaysia head coach Siti Rahmah Mohamed Nasir, together with Nor Farah and several team staff members, approached the referees’ area to lodge a protest.
When their objections failed to overturn the result, the situation escalated.
According to reports, the confrontation turned physical, with several members of the Malaysian team allegedly assaulting referees and officials.
The altercation caused chaos inside the arena, prompting security personnel and police to step in. Officers separated those involved, and the competition was temporarily halted to restore order.
Despite the incident, the SEA Games organising committee upheld the original decision, confirming Thailand as the winner of the bout.
The Malaysian pencak silat team later left the arena, expressing strong dissatisfaction over the outcome.
Triggered widespread debate
The scenes have since triggered widespread debate in both Malaysia and Thailand. Sarawak-based news outlet Sarawak described the scoring as “unprofessional” while stressing that violence against officials is “unacceptable” in any sport.
Malaysian broadcaster TVS also commented that the incident raises concerns over transparency and fairness in pencak silat judging, which relies heavily on subjective evaluation.
Pencak silat, which originated in Indonesia and is widely practised across Southeast Asia, consists of both artistic (Seni) and combat (Tanding) categories. The martial art is known for its fluid, dance-like movements that combine aesthetics with practical combat techniques.
The sport was first included in the SEA Games in 1987 and, after being excluded from several editions, made its return at the 33rd SEA Games.
