KJ and football - dribbling on popularity?
Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has a keen interest in football.Having headed the now defunct football outfit UPB-MyTeam before joining the FA of Malaysia (FAM) as deputy president for a term in the past, he has been rather vocal about Malaysian football since becoming a minister.
Anyone criticising FAM will surely win the hearts of many fans. Khairy has done that well. He seems to even have the support of Johor FA president Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and Kelantan FA president Annuar Musa.
But Khairy has also received the wrath from others. Singer Siti Nurhaliza chided Khairy for telling former national football team captain Jamal Nasir to stay out of his dealings with FAM - as reported in The Star.
FAM have agreed to meet Khairy soon, as revealed by the national body's general secretary Hamidin Amin in a Bernama report.
Nevertheless, Malaysian sports is not all about football.
And for Khairy to take football - and only football - to task seems rather unfair. Or perhaps Khairy is extremely smart for fighting the cause of the majority. After all, he and the thousands of loyal football fans in the country have one thing in common - their criticism towards FAM.
What about badminton? What about athletics?
Need one be reminded that M.Jegathesan's time of 20.92s in the 200m dash clocked in 1968 has yet to be erased till today. 2013 - 1968 = 45 years!
More importantly, what about the agencies under Khairy's ministry?
Also read SS Dhaliwal's tweets about agencies under the ministry.
FAM need to revamp but the revamp must come within. No point demanding for the change of one or two individuals if the mentality of the other officials are still stuck in the past. Until there is a total wipe out within FAM, perhaps we can only then see a more professional culture in Wisma FAM.
One must also remember that FAM, unlike other sports, can survive without the ministry's funding. In fact, the ministry needs FAM more than FAM needs the ministry.
And to criticise is easy. One can table a thick book compiling all that is wrong in Malaysian football but will find it tough to string a paragraph to find a solution to the problem. That is seriously lacking - the solution to our woes and moving forward.
Also what will happen the minute Khairy leaves the ministry? Will there be continuity? Having seen five youth and sports ministers in action during my 13 years in the field - the answer is NO.
Hopefully Khairy can channel his enthusiasm into football through the national football development plan under the ministry. I believe that project has plenty of work to be done.
This is in addition to weeding out incompetent officials within the ministry and its agencies. Don't need to protect them so much la, not like all of them vote for Barisan Nasional during the election.
And I'm sure a posting like this about Khairy - whether construed good or bad - will certainly get him more fans and followers.
HD says: Sometimes the right decisions are not always popular.
To revamp FAM KJ, must seriously look into on how to get all the affiliate at the district and state level to boot out the miserable yes men officials from holding office. Only then we can seriously talk about changes - if not, its just mere bullshit!
ReplyDeleteElections at these levels are often fixed, giving the opportunity for the same faces to be retained term after term. Even at times when there's new faces coming in, they are surely the supporters of the dinosaurs at work.
For the start, KJ, must be brave to make the changes in Selangor state. Selangor state consist of almost nine districts, if i'm not mistaken. KJ, must initiate a movement from behind the scene, to make the changes.
He, with the help of the people wishing to make changes must engage with the affiliates, and educate them to exercise their rights to bring about the real changes required - This is the only way we can safe Malaysian football - The media also should come together on this. Let this be the eye opener, for others to follow.
As for the other agencies under KBS, there should not be any worries. Changes can always be made if there is any weaknesses or incompetency. As far as i'm concern, NSI are in good hands, headed by Dato Dr. Ramlan Aziz.
What right does siti, and Jamal Nasir, got to question KJ?
KJ, has got all the right to question sports bodies. KJ, is answerable to the taxpayers, he is doing the right thing - Being accountable in his action to the people.
Siti, should not forget her kuih selling days, just because she's now able to rub shoulders with the rich and powerful.
Siti, must be careful, don't invite the wrath of the football fans, who are sick and tired with whats going on - Don't lose your popularity as a singer - Meddling in football affairs will make people hate you - The numbers are hugely big than whatever Siti, can attract for her concert - Careful when you speak.
HSKL says: Kalau nak Bodek, bodek lah. Jangan campur tangan urusan Negara yang melibatkan duit pembayar cukai!
Since when celebrities got involved in football? CT defending Jamal Nasir. Jamal defending FAM.(not surprising).
ReplyDeleteKJs comments are valid cos he is actually echoing the peoples frustrations & questions. Cup final tickets issues? Datos in FAM sub committees could not care less about the peoples comments.Thanks to KJ, now everybody in FAM wakes up. Suddenly becomes defensive.Other Sports Assocs become alert too. This is the sports Minister's job. Speak up for the people. Good job by Sports Minister. About the national team, less said the better.Thank you KJ.
What's really funny with this whole situation is FAM can't really do anything to KJ. Before they just suspended and fined people just because they were criticized with their stupid article 88. You might say his actions were purely populist, but at least now we've got a minister that'll keep FAM on their toes after years of incompetency.
ReplyDeleteWhat on earth is Siti talking about. Let the Minister do his job. Keep it up YB.
ReplyDeleteHD,
ReplyDeletePersonally, I dislike KJ as a politician. But I agree with him on this matter.
Jangan lupa isu yang asal : pemain bola diugut bunuh dan kemudiannya dijumpai pula sepucuk pistol di dalam tandas stadium. Ini semua berlaku menjelang dan pada final Piala Malaysia tempohari.
Adakah KJ tiada tempat dalam hal ini?
Adakah KJ tiada tempat dalam bolasepak negara?
Siapa pula Siti Nurhaliza dan Jamal Nasir kepada bolasepak negara?
"Get your house in order first" you said. Very funny lah. KJ berapa lama dah jadi menteri? Mereka di FAM tu berapa lama pula dah di sana?
Ada wartawan kata FAM terima kritikan bila mana ada perubahan dibuat sepanjang masa. Let me tell you, those changes were mostly either a u-turn (eg. format pertandingan) or wrong decision (eg. tidak meletakkan kejuaraan Piala AFF sebagai KRA Rajagopal).
Annuar Musa kena denda sebab apa? Bukan sebab kritik ke?
Shahidan Kasim kena denda sebab apa? Bukan sebab kritik ke?
TMJ kena denda sebab apa? Bukan sebab kritik ke?
Malah saya percaya, kalau menteri boleh didenda, FAM akan denda.
KBS need FAM but FAM does not need KBS? You are really funny. Sekolah sukan tu apa? Stadium tu apa?
Why football and not other sports ie athletics, badminton etc? Because there are 80,000 fans attended a meet in a stadium and police found a gun in the toilet. And yeah, Footballers life were threaten. As simple as that.
Kamarul
Some of the comments are valid. But KJ is getting too personal with FAM. He is the MINISTER and should be responsible for all sports in the country. He should look back and MY team days. He failed miserably. He should look at athletics which was headed by his comrades for the downfall. But he is closing one eye.
ReplyDelete