Tony Mariadass
FMT
July 14, 2020
Principal and students:
(L-R) Khairul Hafiz Jantan, Suhaimi Sun Abdullah and Badrul Hisham Manap.
PETALING JAYA: Suhaimi Sun Abdullah may appear to be just
another physical education teacher, but the 60-year-old who retires today after
36 years of teaching has helped many of his student-athletes become national
and world champions.
His students at Sports School Tunku Makhota Ismail (SSTMI) in
Bandar Penawar and Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) include Olympic divers
Pandelela Rinong and Lee Mun Yee, and cyclist Azizulhasni Awang.
Others are footballer Safiq Rahim, gymnast Sarina Sundara Rajah
and athletes Khairul Hafiz Jantan, Badrul Hisham and Haikal Hanaifi.
Khairul, the national 100m record holder, was coached by SSTMI
teacher Poad Kassim.
Suhaimi also spoke fondly of other achievers in an interview
ahead of his retirement today.
He said the SSTMI rugby and hockey teams were national junior
league champions while others like Shahrukh Amin Dzulkilfi and Muhammad
Nurfitri Ammar Rosli excelled in bowling and cycling, respectively.
“I am blessed to have been able to help change the lives of
young people.
“They have shown that with guidance, they can do the
impossible,” he said.
Suhaimi’s second home is
the playing field.
Suhaimi, who has four daughters, graduated in physical education
from Michigan State University in the US. Here, he is recognised for his
understanding of sports and academic development, and athlete pathways.
He has written books, modules and papers on the concept and management
of sports schools, among others.
He said sports schools had proven that education and sports go
hand in hand.
As SSTMI principal, Suhaimi removed the perception that the
school was second to BJSS.
His tagline “school of champions” encouraged teachers and
students to reach for the sky in academic and sporting excellence.
Suhaimi, a sportsman himself, played football for the Kinta
Indian Association and Dravidian FC in Ipoh.
As a Methodist High School athlete, he was trained by former
national track star and coach, K Jayabalan.
Suhaimi began his career as a teacher at SK Padang Halban, Kota
Bharu in 1984. He taught at BJSS a year after it was established in 1986 where
he was head of the sports science unit. He was principal at SSTMI for five
years from 2014.
He retires as deputy director of the sports, co-curriculum and
arts division at the education ministry.
But his involvement with sports and education will continue with
an international school where he will be the director of education.
He will also be working on grassroots development with the Milo
Champions clinic.
“Having achieved what I set out to do, I hope more time will be
allotted to physical education in public schools,” he said, adding that sports
schools alone were not enough to tap talent.
Tony Mariadass
Cikgu Suhaimi’s
golden touch to school sport excellence
Teachers not only play a key role not
in education of students, but also in the development of sports and Suhaimi Sun
Abdullah, who retires after 36 years of service today (Tuesday), is among the
rare breed of educationists, who has fulfilled both in an exemplary manner.
Suhaimi, who turns 60 on July 15, who
started off as a teacher at SK Padang Halban, Kota Bharu in January 1984,
retires as Deputy Director of Sports, Co-curriculum and Arts Division at the Ministry
of Education (MOE) – a position he was elevated in February 2019 from principal
at Sports School Tunku Makhota Ismail (SSTMI)
The Perakian’s interest in sports is from
his young days, when he played football for Kinta Indian Association (KIA) and
Dravidian and athletics when he represented his school – Methodist High School
– where former national athlete and coach, K. Jayabalan coached him.
It was been a journey for the
friendly and ever-liked teacher by his students and parents, who has held
positions like Sports Officer with Kelantan State Education Department, teacher
at Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) - a year after it was established in 1986 -
before moving up to become Senior Assistant in Co-curriculum, Senior Assistant
in Student Affairs and then to SSTMI in Bandar Penawar as principal in October
2014.
Suhaimi who worked under five
principals at BJSS, when his time came to become principal, he opted to take
charge of instead of SSTMI.
He has many other experiences working
as the assistant general secretary of Kelantan Schools Sports Council, Head of
Sports Science Unit in BJSS, Pre University-MOE, National Sports Council (NSC)
and University Putra Malaysia (UPM) Sports Coordinator, Coordinator of the Gemilang Sukan Sea programme under NSC
and Warden at BJSSC, to name a few areas he been involved in.
He has also written many books,
modules and paperwork on sports management, development, administration, use of
physical fitness test as an instrument, concept of sports schools’ and sports
schools’ policy, applying changes in managing Malaysian Sports Schools and
national sports educational plan among others.
The father of four girls, was indeed a
fatherly figure to thousands of students in both the sports school, who is
affectionately called ‘Cikgu Suhaimi’.
But it was at SSTMI, that he was
allowed to show his true qualities of a highly motivated, engaging and
enthusiastic individual with an understanding of the needs of elite
student-athletes to work and excel in a challenging environment to develop
student-athletes.
“I hold the commitment to values
inculcation and character development. I also have a deep understanding of
sports development, athletes’ development pathways and long-term athlete
development (LTAD) principles, while acknowledging their academic aspirations,”
said Suhaimi when met on the eve of his retirement.
“I fully believe that education and
sports can work hand in hand to produce champions with proper guidance,
discipline, dedication and facilities. And it has proven to work in the Sports
Schools, where I worked hard at it.”
To name a few from a long list of successful
athletes who have had the experience of Suhaimi’s touch include footballer
Safiq Rahim, divers Pandelela Rinong and Lee Mun Yee, cyclist Azizulhasni Awang,
gymnast Sarina Sundara Rajah athletes Khairul Hafiz Jantan, Badrul Hisham and
Haikal Hanaifi.
Khairul is the national 100m record
holder was coached by SSTMi teacher and coach Poad Kassim, while SSMTI’s rugby
and hockey team have exceled to become national junior league champions, while
others like Shahrukh Amin Dzulkilfi and Muhammad Nurfitri Ammar Rosli have
excelled in bowling and cycling respectively.
There were times, when some were
envious and jealous of Suhaimi’s work and popularity, that they made his job
difficult, but his passion for education and sports, saw him withstand the
difficult times, to rise above it.
At SSTMI, Suhaimi as head, managed to
do the way he thought was best for a sports school to bring the best out of the
athletes and saw him succeed.
The first thing he did when he took
charge of SSTMI was to ensure a change in mind set and did not want the school
to be feeder to BJSS, but to stand out on its own.
“It’s all due to a change in the mind
set and the school’s tagline as ‘a school of champions’, we had another tagline
has got everyone thinking big,” said Suhaimi who graduated with a science in
physical education and exercise science from the Michigan State University in
USA (1997).
“It was our team of dedicated
teachers, coaches, support staff, together with the excellent facilities we
had, that saw us excel.”
Suhaimi also underlined that it was
important to engage the parents and work closely with the various sports associations.
When he left SSTMI for the Ministry,
he had an under-study he had groomed in – Jasri Isa – to take over as the new
principal, so that the legacy could be continued.
“I am glad that SSTMI is in good
hands and will continue to excel.
“I retire without any regrets because
all that I have set out to do has been achieved. I am very happy and contended.
“But I hope that more time is
allocated to Physical education in schools to churn out more sports boys and
girls. This is a policy decision. The sports schools alone are not enough to
tap the vast talent out there.”
Asked about his plans after
retirement, he simply replied: “I still have this burning desire to contribute
to education and sports. I will be taking up a post as director of education
with an International School (not wanting to name the school just yet).
“I will also be working on grassroots
development with the Milo Champions clinic and am ever ready to assist anyone
who seeks my assistance.”
Suhaimi is indeed an example for
sports teachers to emulate to make a difference to the Malaysian schools’
sports landscape.
Happy retirement Suhaimi or rather
happy continuing your work beyond retirement.
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