M'sia cancels football matches against Mynamar in protest

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Dec 02, 2016 06:00 am

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's national football team have cancelled two friendly under-22 matches with Myanmar in protest against the treatment of Rohingya Muslims, a spokesman said yesterday. Muslim-majority Malaysia has been increasingly critical of Myanmar's handling of violence in Rakhine state that has sent hundreds of people fleeing to Bangladesh, amid allegations of abuse by security forces.

In a Twitter poston Wednesday, national football team Harimau Malaysia said: "International matches between under-22 Harimau Malaysia vs Myanmar, which were scheduled to take place on Dec 9 and 12 in Yangon, have been cancelled."

The spokesman said: "It was a political decision because of the Rohingya issue." - Reuters