Goodbye Harun, we will miss you (The Sunday Mail)

THE passing of former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Harun Idris yesterday
at his home in Taman Duta sees him leave behind a legacy in sports,
especially soccer in Selangor.
  He is survived by his wife Datin Salmah Sulaiman, children Mazlan,
Ramlan, Azman, Rozina, Rozita, Shafika, 18 grandchildren, four great
grandchildren and a host of relatives.
  Harun, who turned 79 on July 21, will remain an icon in Malaysian
soccer. He was a people's man to the general public but to the soccer
fraternity, he was a Godfather.
  He inspired professionalism among the Selangor players in the 1960s and
1970s.
  Those days, when players played for the love of the game and earned
minimum wages, Harun would go out of his way to find funds to give the
players extra cash.
  The players loved Harun who was a down-to-earth man who always had time
to listen to them. When they played, it was not just for Selangor but also
for Harun.
  It was common to see him at playing fields in Kampung Baru where the
official MB's residence was despite his hectic schedule.
  It was during one of these stops he spotted a stocky, well-built boy,
whom he took under his wings.
  That player was none other than the late Datuk Mokhtar Dahari - who
became a legend in Malaysia and Asia.
  Although he was the man who discovered Mokhtar, Harun refused to include
him in the 1972 Olympic team despite the insistence of FAM as he felt
Mokhtar was not ready.
  When Mokhtar passed away in 1991, Harun said his omission made Mokhtar a
better player because, the striker might have got swollen headed and not
realised his true potential.
  Harun, who was an FA of Selangor president in the 1960s, also helmed the
Selangor Malays Football Association and was a FAM council member.
  He was manager of the national team on numerous occasions and chef-de-
mission to the 1972 Munich Olympics.
  Besides soccer, Harun was president of the Malaysian Professional
Golfers Association and was also responsible for bringing in 1975, the
Muhammad Ali-Joe Bugner world heavyweight boxing fight to Merdeka Stadium.
  Harun was also a biker into his 60s. He even travelled to outstation
matches on his motorcycle besides being a regular sight at the Merdeka
Stadium with his leather jacket and helmet.
  Among the honours he won was the 1995 SAM Benson & Hedges Award for
Leadership.
  He said then: "Despite being away for more than 20 years, I'm glad there
are people who never forget my services. I feel honoured and proud. I
never expected to win."
  However, he was disappointed that the athletes of today, were different
than those from his time.
  "Those days, athletes - especially soccer players - loved the game. But
now it's all about money," he said.
  "We lack people who can motivate athletes to play with pride. Instead,
they are promised rewards if they do well."
  Harun was from the old school of sports but saw results achieved. He may
be gone but his memories will live forever.
                               (END)

It's about being consistently good (22/08/2003 - The Malayl Mail)

Publication : MM
Date : 22/08/2003
Headline : It's about being consistently good


EXCELLENCE in sports is about consistently performing at a high level and
champions are only true champions when they repeat their performances.
We have to educate our athletes that champions are made of stern stuff
and would remain on top for a period of time.
In some ways, the sports system in Malaysia is partly to be blamed for
one shot wonders.
The authorities and general public get all excited with any form of
achievements. This is because Malaysians are starved of achievements and
go overboard in praising any success.
Then, of course, the large rewards for mediocre achievements see
athletes losing sight of their ultimate goal, and fizzle out in most
cases.
It's time to review the National Incentive Scheme and replace it with a
pension-like scheme with higher payouts after retirement based on the
number of years as a national athlete and the achievements during that
time.
This way, it will definitely see our national athletes strive harder to
not only stay longer in their respective sports, but to continue to work
hard to get results after results. Otherwise, they will be at the losing
end.
Just look at the number of athletes who have had a yo-yo performance
after a good outing, took their time to return to the top or in some cases
just just disappeared from the scene.
Names like Hidayat Hamidon, Sapok Biki, Amirul Hamizan Ibrahim and Hafiz
Hashim should ring a bell.
But, at the same time, we have athletes who are dedicated, disciplined
and determined to go higher each time they compete or, at worst, are
consistent with their performance.
We certainly cannot fault athletes who work hard and try their level
best but are unable to achieve the desired results because of tough
competition.
And, surprisingly, many of the athletes who have done well and continue
to strive hard are those who make sacrifices - like those who have to
divide their time between studies and sports or those who have gone
professional.
Among the athletes who have often given reasons for cheers time and
again include sailor Kevin Lim, cyclist Josiah Ng, shuttler Wong Choong
Hann, bowler Shalin Zulkifli, karate exponent S. Premila, swimmer Lim Keng
Liat and squash player Ong Beng Yee.
It is about time the rest of the Malaysian athletes emulated these
athletes to give Malaysian sports a more permanent ranking in the world
arena.
One just has to look at Tiger Woods or the Williams sisters to understand
what champions are all about.
Of course asking our athletes to emulate these icons would be asking too
much of them but they certainly can start somewhere to be more
consistently successful, at least in this region, for all the money spent
on them and sports in general in the country.

The hearts of our fans lie abroad (15/08/2003 - The Malay Mail)

Publication : MM
Date : 15/08/2003
Headline : The hearts of our fans lie abroad


IT is sad that the Malaysia Cup kicking off next Wednesday is not getting
the same attention from the local fans who are more excited about the
English Premier League (EPL).
The new EPL season starting tomorrow is the talk in schools, offices,
streets, restaurants, pubs, warong, and even in the toilets!
Even Malaysian women are getting excited over it.
Last Sunday at a street soccer party in Bangsar during the launch of the
New Straits Times special pullout, EPLplus, about 5,000 fans packed Jalan
Telawi 3 to watch the Community Shield match between Manchester United and
Arsenal.
It was a fantastic response to a match played thousands of miles away.
Ironically, on the same night in Penang, the Malaysia Cup draw was made
without much hype.
The next day, folk were still excited about the Community Shield match
but there was hardly any talk of the Malaysia Cup draw.
Without doubt, the EPL and European Champions League have captured the
imagination of Malaysian fans in a big way - thanks to the live telecast
of many matches from the continent and wide coverage in Malaysian
newspapers.
Teams like the Red Devils have Malaysian fans so much in thrall that
they suffer withdrawal symptoms when the EPL season ended. Many just did
not know how to spend their time in the evenings while many woke up in the
middle of the night, disappointed there was no live telecast.
On the other hand, during the M-League, teams were playing to half-
filled or near-empty stadiums across the country. Malaysian fans no longer
talk about their local teams or players.
Even the giants like Selangor have lost their allure.
What is happening to Malaysian soccer?
Talk to any fan on the street, and he will say that the standards of
Malaysian soccer have suffered.
Or is it because these fans have acquired a taste for foreign soccer
that they start comparing Malaysian players with the foreign teams?
Whatever it is, there is no denying that Malaysian soccer standards have
dropped drastically.

Let's go back to being amateurs! (23/06/2003 - The Malay Mail)

Publication : MM
Date : 23/06/2003
Headline : Let's go back to being amateurs!


SOCCER players are the highest paid sportsmen in the country, but their
performances and achievements left much to be desired. Khalid Jamlus
getting the stick from Perak FA is another example of a player who thinks
he is a prima donna when in actual fact, his performance is far from
anywhere near top quality.
Khalid is probably the best among the worst but yet he can get carried
away with his status.
Once too often, we have had players skipping training, giving lacklustre
performances, keeping late nights, reporting late for training, choosing
when and which tournament to play, faking injuries, etc.
Maybe, we should go back to the good old amateur days when the standard
of the game was far better and the players more disciplined and committed.
As amateurs and with work to do, the players will at least be fully
occupied and not have the luxury of whiling away the hours at nightspots,
sleeping away the days and loitering at shopping complexes with
girlfriends. Some have even been implicated in drug and rape cases.
One of the main reasons for today's poor state of the game is that every
player who calls himself a professional, does not have a clue of what the
word "professionalism" means.
Professional soccer status should only be accorded to the best in the
country and this means only those who make the national team. That will
make players strive for excellence to get full contracts and enjoy the
benefits of playing fulltime soccer.
The national back-up squad players too should be considered for full
time playing status if it means better training facilities, exposure and
coaching.
The rest should only be given amateur contracts and they will have to
find a job to supplement their allowances from playing soccer.
Today, every Ali, Muthu and Ah Chong is a professional player in the M-
League. Let's face it. We are not ready for professional soccer although
we have gone into it since the 90s because the State FAs and clubs
themselves do not conduct themselves as professional outfits.
They have made the M-League a circus and it is no surprise that we have
clowns playing the game.
Many of the players believe they are God's gift to the game when in
actual fact they cannot hold a candle to others from many of our
neighboring countries.
To make matters worse, when these so called professionals do not conduct
themselves well, the laws protect them. Even to get rid of them from a
team take a long process, and the real losers are the employers, the game
and the paying fans.
And when FAM do everything possible to improve the game, including
sending the so called cream of the nation for overseas stints, these
players come running back with all sorts of excuses - bad weather, food,
language, injury and just about everything else.
Is it a surprise that players from Thailand, China, India, Japan, and
Korea have all gone on to a higher level? These players have made
sacrifices, have the passion, are disciplined, and above all, have
ambitions.

Be fair to all (The Malay Mail)

IN a multi-racial country like Malaysia where the population live in
harmony,  one would expect the best athletes, no matter what race or
background, to be selected.
 But sadly, this is not happening.
 One of the sports where players from certain ethnic groups are shut out
is soccer.
 And what is even more tragic is that it is happening at club level,
which is the ground for development of sports.
 It is learnt that several clubs competing in the FAM Cup have a rule not
to include players from certain ethnic groups.
 While it is the prerogative of the clubs to choose their players, they
have a role to play in the development of the game and give fair
opportunity to all.
 One club allowed players from all ethnic groups to attend trials and
then shorlisted a mixed squad and even registered the players. But the
club's management decided they had to drop players from a certain ethnic
group.
 This is really sad because if the player was initially selected, it only
meant that he had the talent, but to deny him the opportunity to progress
in the game is really a shame.
 Some State teams even practise the same policy with foreign players
where if they are of a certain religion, they will not be hired even if he
is a good player.
 In all sports in the country, the need for a multi-national composition
is always encouraged. Even communal-based competitions have been
encouraged to include players from other races and this has been followed.
Some tournaments even have a rule to include a minimum number of players
from other races.
 Soccer competitions organised by the Malaysian Chinese Football Associa-
tion  and Malaysian Indian Sports Association have a rule to include
players from other races.
 It is sad that things like this happen because in a multi-racial
country, we have the best of several worlds where the variety of players
in a team will see different strengths in certain areas like skills and
stamina to form a well- balanced team.
 But instead of making full use of these blessings to form a formidable
team,  the "hidden policies" of some teams certainly do not augur well for
sports in the country.
                             (END)

Cloak-and-dagger (27/11/2002 - The Malay Mail)

Publication : MM
Date : 27/11/2002
Headline : Cloak-and-dagger

IT is baffling that the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) are not
revealing the names of the contenders for the various posts at their
elections on Dec 14.
OCM secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi said he has his reasons for not
revealing the nominations as there is bound to be changes. As such, OCM
need to ask those who have been nominated whether they are really
interested in the post or have been nominated without their consent.
He also said the full list of names can only be released on Nov 30 after
the final day for acceptance of nominations by the candidates.
"The candidates still have two weeks to campaign if they want," he said.
But that is not the point.
The public should be informed of those nominated because being nominated
itself is an honour for the candidates and it reflects confidence in his
ability.
It does not matter whether the candidate chooses to stand for election
or not.
There are some who argue that if the name of the nominee was released
and the person decides to withdraw, it will be embarrassing.
What matters here is the fact that the public and the sports fraternity
especially, need to know who has been nominated.
When nominations closed on Nov 14, OCM president Tunku Imran Tuanku
Ja'afar, Sieh and Datuk Kee Yong Wee were the incumbents returned
unopposed.
However, there were three nominations for the deputy-president's post,
currently held by Tan Sri Khir Johari. Khir has indicated that he will not
seek re-election.
There were 13 nominations, including three women, for the five vice
president posts. There is a provision to reserve one vice president post
for a woman but since there are three nominations, one will fill the
automatic seat with two challenging for the remaining four posts.
The five incumbent vice-presidents are Datuk Khalid Yunus, Datuk M.
Jegathesan, W.Y. Chin, Datuk Syed Mohamed Aidid and Norminshah Sabirin.
All five have been nominated and they will defend their seats.
Incumbent assistant secretaries Mohamed Fadzil Othman and Latifah Ya'cob
will be challenged by two men and one woman.
For the assistant treasurer's post, currently held by S. Jahendran,
there were three nominations.
The talk in the corridors of OCM is that one of the reasons for the
secrecy on nomination is because of attempts by some parties to ask the
nominees not to stand for certain posts.
It is learnt that Fadzil is not seeking re-election as assistant
secretary.
Former NSC director of international preparations and BAM general
manager Phua Tai Neng, and National Association of Archery Malaysia's Mej
(R) Baharuddin Jamil have been nominated for the post.
OCM have already sent out letters to all the nominees asking them for
acceptance and one nominee confirmed that he received his letter
yesterday. Another said there was an added note in the letter asking him
to see an OCM official.
Certainly, there can be more transparency in OCM. All these speculations
will only undermine their credibility.

Review of national incentive scheme in order (13/11/2002 - The Malay Mail)

Publication : MM
Date : 13/11/2002
Headline : Review of national incentive scheme in order

THE sooner the national incentive scheme is revised, the better it will be
for sports in the country.
Once too often we have heard of athletes wanting to quit the moment they
get the windfall from the incentive scheme given out by the National
Sports Council.
Weightlifter Amirul Hamizan Ibrahim had planned on quitting but later
said he wanted to take a year's break to study. Karate exponents S.
Premila and M. Srirajarajeswari intend to quit after the world
championships next year.
Amriul was a triple gold medal winner at the Commonwealth Games, with
Premila winning gold in Busan while Srirajarajeswari taking a bronze.
Gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games were worth
RM80,000, while silver was RM40,000 and bronze RM20,000.
NSC not only pay out these bonuses for victory, but also finance
athletes and associations in their development and training, which
includes overseas exposure and monthly allowances for the athletes.
And when NSC spend so much money to see the athletes reach the highest
level possible, it is surely not for one-off achievements. They would reap
long-term benefits.
Of course, when the athlete can no longer perform because of the higher
level of competition, age or serious injury, they can gracefully bow out.
But more often than not, athletes bow out much earlier, especially when
they receive lucrative payouts.
It is for this reason that the incentive scheme formula has to be
reviewed. They should only be given a portion immediately with the rest
being invested into a saving and pension scheme.
The Korean system encourages athletes to remain in the sport longer as
the pension scheme and dividends they receive correspond with achievement.
There is a need to look again at proposals made in 1997. They allowed
NSC to enter into an agreement with the sport association and athletes
that they served the nation for a certain number of years.
However, for some reason, the NSC board rejected the proposals.
For the record, RM12,328,238 had been paid out since 1986 (when the
scheme was launched) until last year.
For the Commonwealth Games in Manchester this year, RM1,564,000 was paid
out to the 33 medal-winners (seven gold, nine silver and 18 bronze
medals), coaches and associations.
For 2001 alone, RM1,204,061.50 was paid, out of which RM775,500 was for
achievements at the SEA Games.
In 2000, the total was RM450,200, whereas in 1999, it was RM968,900.
These figures do not include the money spent preparing for the various
Games. For instance, RM40 million was spent on preparations for last
year's SEA Games.