Days when those running MOE's Unit Sukan were just a phone call away

I miss Ee Hong. I seriously do.

She was the former head at the Education Ministry's Sports Unit. And she would answer any query of mine.

Here's an example of how she responded to a question I asked her in 2013 during my time in The Malay Mail.

Dear Haresh,

You are right regarding students aged 18-21 can participate in zone and state level tournaments. MSSM rule3.1.1.4, it states that, “Murid yang berumur lebih daripada 18 tahun tetapi kurang daripada 21 tahun boleh mengambil bahagian di peringkat sekolah, daerah, dan negeri sahaja”.

We have contacted our counterpart in MSSKL and informed them about this rule.

Read the full article here.

Subsequent unit heads, Dr Mahendar Singh and Zainal Abas were also forthcoming with their comments. They were pretty much just a phone call away.

So recently I decided to send the acting unit head Razuki A. Rahim about the plans this year as I was planning to do a write-up about sports in schools on news website Twentytwo13.

An email was sent to Razuki on March 2. There's been no reply to date.

Instead, at 12.01pm today I received a phone call from a representative from his office. She said I had to go through the ministry's communications department and only if the sports unit obtains clearance from the communications department, the unit will be able to answer my queries.

She apologised and said "Saya hanya menurut perintah".

It's 2021 where everything is available at one's fingertips within seconds. 

Ironically, it was faster and easier to get information in 2013 than today.

And it's quite amazing that simple questions about the 2021 sporting calendar and plans for the year are safeguarded like gold bars. 

I miss the days when those running the sports unit behaved like leaders and were just a phone call away.