Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Excuse Me Sir, But Who Else?

Yesterday FAM Deputy President Tengku Mahkota Pahang has relinquished all his positions in the prestigious sports body with immediate effect. He remains as Pahang FA President.

No reason was given for TM’s resignation but the local media reported that it came in the wake of the most embarrassing and worst ever performance of what was described as “the Malaysian National Football Team” during the Asian Cup 2007. I ought not to speculate but if indeed it was, than TM has all my respect for doing the most honorable thing in the spate of embarrassment and punishment the national team had taken the last 20 years since he was up there.

The following day FAM President Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang announced that he had accepted the resignation of Dato’ Dr Ibrahim Saad as the General-Secretary which will be effective at the end of the month. Ibrahim was not even around when his charges were whacked helplessly 5-1 and 5-0 by China and Uzbekbistan respectively at the National Stadium here. He was reported to be overseas.

Some people said the margins 5-1 and 5-0 were reflection of our 50th Merdeka! I could not disagree.

According to TheStar, Sdra Khairy Jamaluddin has resigned as independent council member of FAM yesterday. His reason was that since TM has left he should do the same since he was brought into the council by the latter.

In my humble opinion, the only loss here was Khairy’s absence for he is the only real hope left for the revival of Bolasepak Malaysia via his brand of MYTeam which captured the imagination of us Malaysians last year. I sincerely hope that Khairy will stay on and perhaps even be elevated to one of the top posts of the association in the wake of the withdrawals of two senior officials. Since the resignation of TM, there was a vacancy while the other deputy was Dato' Redzuan Sheikh Ahmad. There were a few vice-presidents of FAM.

The association is in need of new and young blood and I think Khairy has the credentials to be one of the able hands to navigate the association into the right path in years to come. Me? I am available to lend my knowledge and experience to help out this ailing association.

Khairy’s presence in the council has nothing to do with the dismal showing of the secondary school boys-standard of football portrayed by the so-called Malaysian National Team players in the on-going tournament. Malaysia’s inclusion at the level of football was merely due to its status of being a host and not by merit. Therefore, I think Khairy should stay or at least made to stay in his position.

Today, the football fans, followers and fanatics are waiting for more resignations and the eventual revamp of the association which has not seen any silverware, not even a decent national team and any promise of a future for Bolasepak Malaysia.

Going by the recent showings, our football could not be any worse than the position it was in now, instead the only way is up, meaning "we cannot get worse than this!" for this is the most nighmare one could imagine. Since the only way now is up then all the good men should come to the aid of the association.

We are waiting…but then again…didn’t I ask this question in my last posting?