Saturday, August 8, 2009

Let's save SAM

The Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM) is 40 years old. Four decades since the pioneering group of 38 sportswriters formed the association, SAM has lost its direction and real reason for being.

SAM no longer wields power and influence among the powers-that-be. According to Suara SAM, the association was inaugurated on Feb 21, 1969. It followed a meeting of 38 sportswriters at the Straits Times office at Jalan Riong. The late Norman Siebel was the founding president. A legend in Malaysian sportswriting, Norman however died on April 23 that year.

Rahim Razali who was a leading television and radio sports commentator, became acting president. G.S Kler was the first secretary and Tan Sri Hamzah Abu Samah, then the Information Minister, the patron.

Besides Norman, Rahim, Kler and Mansoor Rahman, the other pioneer members present at the meeting were Lee Pek Hoo (Nanyang Siang Pau), R. Jeyanathan (Radio Malaysia), Conrad Ng (Straits Times), Wong Siew Hoon (China Press), Matmor Bachik (Utusan Malaysia), Chang Cheng (Sin Chiew Jit Poh), S.L.E. Maran (Tamil Nesan), Chan Tin Wang, Liew Mok Yoong, Alex Soars, Francis Emmanuel, Rahim Kassim, Tony Francis, Ian Pereira, Peter de Souza, Sajab Siraj, Tony Danker, Ma'arof Mohamed Nor, M.T. Lingham, Ibrahim Ngah (all Straits Times), Abdul Ghani Othman, Khalid Jafri, B. Abdul Ghani, Taufik Kajai (Utusan group), Baharin Tahir, Ronnie Atkinson, Santokh Singh Gill (Radio Malaysia), Harjit Singh, Idris Nordin, K. Chandrashekaran (TV Malaysia), Liew Koon Siong (China Press), Alban Gomes (Bernama), Tan Oou Teck (Nanyang), Ben Variyan (Eastern Sun), R.D. Selva (Straits Echo) and Hari Chand (freelance).

Standing from left: Wong Siew Hoon, Alex Soars, R. Jeyanathan, S.L.E. Maran, Chang Cheng. Seated from left: Mansoor Rahman (assistant secretary), Rahim Razali (president), Conrad Ng (vice-president), Lee Pek Ho (treasurer)

Norman Siebel

Founding secretary G.S. Kler

Tony Danker

As a kid, I used to read about SAM's activities in the papers. The most glamorous award organised by SAM was the SAM-Benson & Hedges Golden Award. Coverage of the event was huge and the sponsors certainly enjoyed the returns on investment. Much of this was due to the leadership provided by the then Berita Harian sports editor, Zainuddin Bendahara and ably supported by his exco members in the 80s.

Zainuddin Bendahara, fondly called Mr SAM by Sultan of Pahang

Zainuddin's good work was continued by Fauzi Omar, arguably the nation's foremost sportswriter but under his presidency, SAM was accused of being an elitist association without really touching base with the grassroots. The association was split into two much of the 90s. Still there was the SAM awards and SAM-Glamoir World of Sports National Football Awards to be proud of. When Fauzi quit, Zainuddin, given his contribution and reputation, became acting president. But with the grassroots wanting change, the biennial elections became a bitter affair. Secretaries such as Tham Choy Lin, Johnson Fernandez and S.T. Arasu came and go.

From left: Abu Bakar Atan, Mustakim Aminuddin, Shaukei Kahar and loose cannon after the 2000 elections. Loose cannon beat incumbent L. Jaiarajo to win the secretary's post. At the back Yusman Yunus and Bahaman Wariya

Loose cannon with Rahim Razali

Loose cannon with Ian Pereira

Aug 15 is the elections, with the incumbents likely to be challenged by a group that represents the younger generation. A compromise is unlikely. In the event the meeting turns ugly and if the incumbents remain adamant, SAM's reputation and credibility would be shattered. The good work accomplished by its founding members would be smashed to smithereens. And I hate to see that happen. SAM needs to be rescued!

12 comments:

nstman said...

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was wonderful times. It was a time when local sports reigned supreme. Alas the central figures of those glorious years are now dead and gone but thank god there is one man who is still around to sing our praise when we are gone. That man is Malaysia's No obit writer Ian Pereira, otherwise known as the point man for the dead. Thanks for dragging us back into a time when things were simple, when there was only blue and black, when life was only two-dimensional, good or bad. Be that as it may, I thought SAM died a long time ago. You sure are really resurrecting a ghost.

ex-mm said...

Long live Ian..

Anonymous said...

Laa, ingatkan persatuan2 sukan je dah hilang hala tuju, rupa2nya Persatuan Penulis2 Sukan pub blur sama. Jadi tuan-tuan semua, fikir2kan lah. Jangan jadi macam ketam mengajar anak berjalan,.....malu bang oiii. Mungkin boleh belajar dari FAM...ubah format (big jokes)..Anda semua punya tanggungjawab yang besar untuk memberi teladan kepada yang lain tentang "berorgansisi".

epain said...

jom kembalikan semangat SAM...

saya sendiri semasa kanak-kanak "teruja" kalau berpeluang untuk menjadi ahli SAM...

sekarang saya disahkan sebagai salah seorang ahli, jadi dengan rasa rendah diri dan hormatnya saya sebagai orang muda sanggup untuk bersama-sama menghidupkan SAM...

tapi masalahnya, ada jugak senior yang telah menjadikan SAM sebagai parti politik...nak bertanding pun siap ada lobi melobi...

ada campaign manager lagi...apa ni?..kalau rasa berkemampuan, bertandinglah...

buat ahli lain pula, pilih lah pemimpin mengikut keupayaan memimpin, bukannya "orang tu kem orang tu"..."aku ni kawan dia"...

Anonymous said...

Fight for SAM top posts!

The SAM "Mesyuarat Agung Luar Biasa" on August 15th is expected to see a fiery battle for the posts of president...?

Anonymous said...

i hope...anyone...who are taking on the new "AJK" soon... commitment and a certain level of calibre are essential in running the association... for the glorious future of "SAM"... 1SAM

RIZAL said...

Jadi ke mesyuarat pemilihan 15 hb ni?kalau x jadi ada projek lain kat perak..hehehehe..just asking kot2 bro rizal tau..

Anonymous said...

Bravo epain... I like u. Pandangan cukup menarik! Apa pulak main kem-kem ni... Tak kan nak tunjuk belang sama sendiri plk ye... Bertanding tak salah... tapi tak kan nak pecah belah sama kita.. Kem ni boleh wujud pecah belah! Betul tak epain?

epain said...

buat anon 1035...

tak payah nak kem...masalahnya nanti, kalau jadi apa2 mcm2 boleh jadi...tak nak kawan lah, tak nak tegur lah...

tapi menariknya yg sy tahu, tarikh ni ditetapkan pun disebabkan kewujudan kem....kalau tak silap, tarikh asal dijadualkan pada 27 Julai...

Anonymous said...

Sdr. epain,

sekarang ni pun dah ada bibit2 mcm yang cakap tu... risau dibuatnya... kadang2 tu keghairahan dah mengatasi kerasionalan...

tentang tarikh tu... tak tau lah... kenalah tanya "mereka-mereka itu"

Anonymous said...

Sila saudara semua nilai apa yang presiden sekarang telah lakukan sepanjang menjadi presiden;

Hari keluarga SAM...TIADA

Pejabat SAM di OCM...TIADA (TIDAK
ADA PEGAWAI FULL TIME LAGI SEKARANG).

Anugerah SAM....TIADA Glamour Lagi (Dulu TPM Rasmi, sekarang sekadar menteri).

Jamuan Raya/Deepavali/CNY...TIADA

Kredibiliti SAM..........TIADA

Ahli Baru/Wartawan Baru...TIADA

So, apa yang kepimpinan Bakar Atan buat?................TIADA

So, eloklah Bakar Atan berundur, dan beri peluang pada muka baru.Mungkin SAM akan lebih bertenaga sikit.

Sekianlah sahaja, demi untuk kebaikan SAM...

Anonymous said...

Saya setuju dengan pendapat rakan-rakan, apa nak bertanding pun dihalang ni...

Apakah SAM dah jadi macam MIC...Presiden SAM dah jadi macam Presiden MIC?.

Ini persatuan untuk semua ahli sukanlah...janganlah jadi hak peribadi untuk tiket main golf free.