Foul!

The Borneo Post today reported that the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Sarawak and Sabah have agreed to set up the East Malaysia Sports Commission (EMSC). The proposal for the establishment of the commission, according to the report, is to facilitate the organisation of more sports programmes in the two states. The report raises several questions: 1. Will the East Malaysia Sports Commission be part of the Sports Commissioner's Office or will it stand on its own? 2. Were the Sports Commissioner's Office and Youth and Sports Ministry in Putrajaya consulted about the move? 3.  Will the EMSC be governed by the Sports Development Act? For the record, the Sports Commissioner's Office has an office in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu, as listed on its website . The Sports Development Act clearly states that those intending to organise local or international events must obtain approval from the Sports Commissioner's Office or face fines and/or jail time. News websi...

This was posted on social media yesterday and was widely reported . Let's look at the history regarding the construction of a rugby stadium in Malaysia. 1. For years, domestic and international rugby matches have been played at the MBPJ Stadium in Kelana Jaya. It must also be noted that several clubs like the Eagles Rugby Club in Sandakan, Sabah have beautiful playing spaces, equipped with the right set up similar to that of a stadium. 2. In Feb, 2010, then Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek revealed there were plans to build a RM35 million rugby stadium in Kota Kinabalu, as reported by The Star . 3. The construction of the stadium did not take off immediately due to several contributing factors including "finding the right site and financial constrains". 4. Ahmad Shabery's predecessor Khairy Jamaluddin had in 2015 visited the site for the new rugby stadium, as posted on his Twitter account. 5.  In 2017, Sabah Rugby Union's V...

Haresh Says as published in Mailsport today. Jeremy Matthew Danker started his career with Public Bank FC in 2003 and made his break with the now defunct UPB-MyTeam in 2007. He donned KL’s colours for a brief period before featuring for Sabah FA and Johor United. He returned to Kuala Lumpur in 2012 but that marked the end of his career. Jeremy and four others — Khairul Anuar, Hafizi Roslee, Fadhulah Yunsiar and Phoo Kai Lun — were slapped with life bans by the FA of Malaysia (FAM) last year following allegations of match-fixing. He left the sport for good and now works as a personal trainer. But Jeremy is a “victim” too. He is owed wages amounting to RM50,000 by Sabah FA. After numerous phone calls and letters to Sabah FA and FAM, the national body’s players’ status committee made a decision requiring Sabah FA to pay him the monies owed within 14 days of a letter dated January 24, 2014. It has been almost eight months since the letter was issued. Yet, Jeremy has not ...

Haresh Says, as published in The Malay Mail today.   ON May 22, 1890, the ruler of a small state under Dutch control in Aceh, North Sumatra, wrote a brief letter in Malay. The addressee was a Chinese man named Baba Seng, who lived across the Straits of Melaka in the British colonial possessions on the Malay peninsula. The Acehnese chief informed the Chinese trader that he was in need of certain items: twenty breach-loading rifles, twenty Russian-made shoulder straps, percussion caps, and rifle oil, among other things. In return the Acehnese leader promised a cargo of pepper from his own agricultural supplies, which would have fetched Baba Seng a good deal of money on the open market of Melaka. The letter was sent via two couriers, both of whom were Acehnese women. There is no historical record of whether the transaction actually occurred, or whether this attempt to smuggle arms and ammunition into the Dutch East Indies — and pepper out of it — was f...

Haresh Says , as published in The Malay Mail today. With the increasing number of our East Malaysian friends now working and living in the Klang Valley, it is only natural for some churches to conduct their mass in Bahasa Melayu – simply to ensure those attending understood what is going on. The same situation can be seen in many Gurdwara as projectors screen the English translation of verses from the Guru Granth Sahib so that the younger generation could understand better. In short, it is just a way for followers to understand their religion better. Even calling this entire episode as the ‘Allah issue’ is wrong. Since when was God  an issue? There are better ways of addressing such matters as rightfully said by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. “It will be less tense when we can sit down together,” Najib was quoted as saying. Let’s understand the matter at hand before jumping the gun. Let’s be matured about this. The last thing we need is to politicise this. I rather...

UPDATE 6pm: Police almost certain the body of a young boy found in a river in Klang is that of William Yau. -------- He once donned Sabah's jersey. He played alongside countrymen Jaruslav Netolicka and Michael Vana for the Borneo side. He drew his final breath yesterday. He is Czechoslovakian footballer-turned-coach Miroslav Janu ( pic ). Harimau Muda A coach Ong Kim Swee had quickly messaged me right after landing in Brisbane asking if I had any updates on Janu's condition after the latter suffered a heart attack earlier in the day. Sadly, I had no good news to offer Kim Swee who also played for Sabah in the 90s. Janu, the coach of Surabaya-based football club Persebaya, died at the age of 53 at Jemursari Islamic Hospital in Surabaya, East Java, at around 12 pm on Thursday, due to a heart attack, reported The Jakarta Post. Some will remember Janu as Sabah's all time best 11 . A sad day for football. HD says: Also sad that a body, of a fair skinne...

A not so little bird alerted me that Selangor's Croatian striker Bosko Balaban ( pic ) is an unhappy man. Apparently, the former Aston Villa and Dynamo Zagreb forward was supposed to take a "pay cut" due to his "unconvincing performance". It is unclear if the FA of Selangor initiated or proceeded with such an action. However, such talks have not disturbed the professional player as he continue to score for the Red Giants including against T-Team recently. He has eight goals thus far under his belt in the Super League. It's also surprising that those close to Bosko or FAS have not touched on the issue. And I wonder why? Perhaps someone could shed some light over this episode. Also, Sabah FA had a meeting yesterday morning and named a handful of players who they "suspect" are on the take. Interestingly, no evidence was produced. Nevertheless, it was baffling to note the players the management had apparently named did not p...

Singapore's LionsXII thrashed Sabah 9-0 in a Super League match last night. Is there so much of difference in the standard of play among the Super League teams? Are the Singaporeans that strong? Is Sabah that weak? I didn't watch the match so I rather not comment. But to lose 9-0? You tell me what is wrong with that scoreline. Read here and here for the match reports. Pic: ST PHOTO LIM SIN THAI HD says: .....