Sports Problems identified decades ago???

Tunku Imran's comment

A Malaysian hockey official who did not want to sour his relationship with the sports minister, decided to give advice behind a veil. (Malaysian officials always like to talk behind, NOT in-front)

“No disrespect to Pereira, but whatever he said is not new. Malaysian press and sports officers have identified problems which plague sports in the country decades ago. But implementation was bane.

"I suggest that She (Azalina) go back to the archives and old newspaper clippings on how to improve sport in the country, and she will find all her answers there,” said the official.

“We do not need a foreign sports expert to tell us how to improve, but maybe if experts are brought in to carry out programmes from A-to-Z, that would help because Malaysians forget blueprints faster than one type the word,” said the official.

Accoring to Datuk Mazlan Ahmad, the National Sports Council Director-General, “We lack the political will power to execute changes in the past, but I believe the situation is different today."

There is no magic in what Pereira said but if people are prepared to take on the ideas, it is good news. This is how Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar felt about the ideas of Hallam Pereira.

“Any suggestion is welcome, but the ideas put forth by Pereira ARE SIMILAR to that of OCM in 1998,” added Imran.

“I presented those ideas in a speech during the International Annual Conference in 1998,” says Tunku Imran.

“Malaysia have been SAYING the SAME THING over the years but if he (Pereira) put it in a way where people are prepared to listen, it is great as long as it can be implemented," Tunku Imran lamented.

"SPORTS CULTURE cannot be cultivated overnight but we need a proper plan to bring up talented athletes to international level. An ATTITUDE CHANGE should be the first that SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED because times has changed and we need a fresh approach. Malaysian sport has to be PREPARED FOR A CHANGE and we need to study the whole thing and see what can be implemented and then prioritize over a period of time,” Imran said.

CHANGE .... certainly, CHANGE IS DEFINITELY NEEDED. But change what? Change coaches, change players, change shirts and pants, change Ministers????? (We had change so many sports ministers over the last 20 years)

What about CHANGE of the officials ... the TOP GUNS in the Ministry, the NSC, the Sports Association, & the ...I scratch your back, you scratch mine??? Will they be willing to LET-GO their power, and retire gracefully so that a set of professionals without political affiliations will take over the rein???

Interestingly, what we hear of the problems were already identified DECADES ago by all those guys at the top who are talking about it now. How come the various sports ministers had done nothing about it? And more interesting is the fact that the TOP GUNS were there the last 10 to 20 years, when the problems were then identified and the proposed solutions forwarded to the Ministry(which was what Pereira is recommending)? And the TOP GUNS are still there, sitting in the most comfortable chair of power, saying, "THIS TIME IT WILL WORK BECAUSE WE HAVE PEREIRA AND AZALINA."

DO YOU THINK IT WILL WORK???? DO WE WANT CHANGE & ARE THE OFFICIALS PREPARED TO GIVE WAY TO PROFESSIONALS AND LET THE LESS POWERFUL BUT PASSIONATE PEOPLE TO RUN THE SHOW?

WILL WE WAIT FOR THE change of another NEW PRIME MINISTER and/or NEW SPORTS MINISTER to sing the same old song again and AGAIN? The public are getting tired of all those crap stories - it's boo...ringgggggg.

WELL, HISTORY ALWAYS REPEAT ITSELF, PARTICULARLY SO, IN MALAYSIA, THE BOLEH-LAND!