Will May 5 mark new beginning in OCM?

UPDATE: May 5 (1.39pm)

OCM's new line up 2018-2021

President: Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria

Deputy president: Datuk Seri Abdul Azim Zabidi

Vice presidents: Datuk Paduka Mumtaz Jaafar, Datuk Ong Poh Eng, Mahindra Vallipuram, Tan Sri Mohamad Noor Abdul Rahim, Prof Datuk Dr Shamala Subramaniam

Secretary-general: Datuk Nazifuddin Najib

Assistant secretary-general: Chan Foong Keong & Moira Tan Siew See

Treasurer: Ahmad Feisal Ahmad Tajuddin

Assistant treasurer: Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill



Norza paid tribute to outgoing president Tunku Imran Jaafar and assistanct secretary-general Datuk Sieh Kok Chi. 

He had also in his speech said the "workings within OCM cannot be based on the interpretations of one or two individuals". 

He was unimpressed with the mudslinging and poison pen letter that surfaced days before today's election, adding:

"I'll leave it to the authorities to investigate and name those responsible for the letter. If any individual has something to say, put it on record. As the Malay saying goes "berani kerana benar".


And this is my tweet immediately after the names were announced:

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ORIGINAL POST

I WAS recently asked: “So who do you think will win the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) elections?”

I could only offer a smile.

Looking at the list of candidates, I could not help but ask myself if these personalities are truly passionate about sports. Or do they even know about the Olympic charter, fairplay and sportsmanship?

It remains uncertain who Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria, who won the president’s post uncontested, will be working with in the new term.

Officials from the national sports associations will tomorrow (May 5) vote to elect office bearers who can hopefully uphold transparency and accountability in making decisions.

Before the national contingent left for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, I had asked if OCM will make public the list of those who were given accreditation cards and the roles they played there. The article ‘Gold Coast 2018: Business or pleasure?’ was published on Foul! (www.hareshdeol.blogspot.my) on April 4. The list remains a 'secret'.

On April 25, I asked on the same platform what being an OCM official is all about.

I wrote:

"Take a good look at the faces of the candidates. Ask yourself:

i. How have their sports (and not personal status at their respective organisations or positions they may hold in international organisations) prospered under their leadership?

ii. How many of those eyeing key positions have clocked in the years or showcased their true capabilities as sports administrators? 
(It must be recorded that age or "years of experience" does not automatically translate into one being a good administrator).

iii. How many of them are former athletes? 
(One must take into account that an athlete may not necessarily be a good coach or administrator).

A sports official recently said: “The OCM should not be anyone’s playground."

With Norza winning uncontested, all eyes are now on the fight for the deputy president's post between Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Omardin and Datuk Seri Abdul Azim Zabidi.

Megat Zulkarnain, son of prominent silat practitioner Tan Sri Omardin Mauju, is also contesting under Barsian Nasional’s banner for the Gombak Setia state seat in the 14^th general election. 

He has always been heavily involved in politics and makes no secret about it.

In 2015, I had in my column in Malay Mail ‘Fix Pesaka’s identity crisis’ highlighted that Megat Zulkarnain, the National Silat Federation (Pesaka) secretary-general, was at the forefront of Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu - initially seen as a racially-charged gathering on Sept 16, 2015. Previously dubbed Himpunan Maruah Melayu, the gathering was in retaliation to the Bersih 4.0 rally held weeks earlier.

Azim, meanwhile, was almost unheard of in the sporting fraternity before his appointment as National Sports Institute (NSI) chairman by Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin last year.

Azim, the former Umno Bukit Bintang division chief and seven other division leaders were stripped of their posts by the party’s disciplinary board in 2001 for various offences during the party elections.

The former Umno treasurer is a familiar face in the finance industry and once served as Bank Simpanan Nasional chairman. Together with Khairy, Azim and several others were part of the ‘Fourth Floor Boys’ in Perdana Putra during Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s tenure as prime minister. 

These men - referred by critics as the gatekeepers of Pak Lah - were "very young, coming from prestigious British and American universities and left financially rewarding jobs to join his office" – a description by former newsman Datuk Wong Puan Wah @ Wong Sulong in the book ‘Being Abdullah Ahmad Badawi: The Authorised Biography’.

Those contesting for OCM’s vice-president post are Prof Datuk Dr Zakaria Ahmad, Datuk Paduka Mumtaz Jaafar, Datuk Ong Poh Eng, Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad, Mahindra Vallipuram, Tan Sri Mohamad Noor Abdul Rahim, Prof Datuk Dr S. Shamala, Datuk Mohamad Taufik Omar and Nik Razeen Ahmad Daud.

Another highlight will be the contest between Datuk Low Beng Choo and Datuk Mohd Nazifuddin Mohd Najib for the secretary-general’s post. 

In typical election fashion, a poison pen letter made its rounds on Labour Day. 

Hilariously, the letter was attacking OCM assistant secretary-general Datuk Sieh Kok Chi - who is not even contesting! Sieh, a former national water polo player who has served OCM for decades, was unperturbed by the contents of the poorly written letter, even sharing it with his acquaintances. 

Drama aside, it is important to see how OCM moves forward after May 5. 

Perhaps the new office bearers can share the list of those given accreditation cards for Gold Coast and the roles they played there.

Also, OCM should wrap up its probe on allegations that a national ice skater had received a SEA Games gold medal last year despite not being selected after flopping the selection process.

I look forward to the outcome of these findings. Till then, may the best man or woman win!