Pin it on the OCM (The Malay Mail)

CIA or agents from Salt Lake City? Whatever it is, some unauthorised
Americans are traipsing around the Asian Games Village in Bangkok.
 And they are flashing Asian Games Identity Cards issued by the Olympic
Council of Malaysia (OCM).
 Someone could have procured these tags somewhere between the nightclubs
of Patpong to the Games Village at Thammasat University.
 The thought of some Yankees masquerading as Malaysians is not amusing
when even Malaysian media personnel have faced difficulties in getting
accreditation.
 The OCM should do some snooping around on their own to find out how
people from the other side of the world get to be "Malaysians".
 Fortunately, these "fakers" are not agents of foreign powers sent to
destabilise the Malaysian team.
 They are just fun-loving collectors who scour the planet for pins that
to them are the badges of conquests.
 An American pin collector was spotted in the International Zone at the
Games Village wearing an ID card stating NOC of Malaysia while another
American, also a pin collector, said he got his accreditation through the
OCM.
 The tags of both the pin collectors were listed under `O' that
classified them as observers.
 One wonders how the OCM actually approved accreditation for foreigners
who are not involved in Malaysian sports or the Games in any way.
 One of the Americans with the OCM-issued tag, said he obtained his card
through another friend who knows a top Malaysian sports official.
 The American, a retired aerospace mircochip engineer who has never been
to Malaysia, said: "In fact, there are four of us here. It was this friend
of mine who helped us get the IDs."
 He got his Malaysian ID tag when he arrived in Bangkok from Los Angeles
on Nov 30.
 "It was a last minute plan to come here. When this friend of mine said
he could arrange for an ID, I decided to come.
 "This is the first Asian Games that I am attending although I have been
to several Olympics," said the American, who has a collection of 20,000
pins.
 Although the American has an observer pass which gives him access to
venues and the Games Village International Zone, he said two of his
friends have passes which allow them into the Games Village itself.
 OCM secretary-general Sieh Kok Chi expressed surprise when asked about
these pin collectors.
 "We have several foreigners with Malaysian accreditation but they are
all involved with our sports.
 "As far as I can remember, I have only authorised five foreigners,
including Peter Thumm (a NSC consultant) and his Swiss friend."
 Whatever it is, the OCM have been pinpointed as being responsible for
the presence of these American pin-hunters.
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