Saturday, April 19, 2008

The ties that bind



The Star carried a report on the Olympic Torch Relay on April 16 and one of the personalities featured was former Malaysian Ambassador to China, Datuk Abdul Majid Khan.

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2008/4/17/lifefocus/20971107&sec=lifefocus"

Datuk Majid (picture courtesy of the Star) is the son of the late Ahmad Khan, a respected community leader in Kluang, Johor. A road in Kluang was named after him in honour of his immense contribution to the place I used to call kampung. Just google Ahmad Khan.

Then google Aziz Awab, also another respected community leader and Umno grassroot stalwart back in the old days, when leaders were short on cash but long in integrity. Arwah Atok Aziz was my maternal grandfather.

Atok Aziz was a voracious reader. After his death in 1983, I discovered a treasure trove in his bedroom, a cupboard full of magazines, mainly local publications on entertainment, politics and sports. I still have a few copies of Atok's Dunia Sukan, the No 1 local sports magazine in the 1970s.

Born in Merlimau, Malacca, Atok Aziz was a footballer, up to a certain level, I guess. Though he was just a taxi driver, Atok Aziz was equally comfortable in the company of Kings and the commoner.

He rose to become president of the Persatuan Pemandu Teksi Kluang, a councillor of the Majlis Daerah Kluang Utara and helped establish Syarikat Gunung Lambak.

And he was also a stringer for Utusan Malaysia.

When he became the founding chief of the Umno Bunga Raya branch at Kampung Melayu, Atok Aziz's No 2 was renowned writer Ismail Zam Zam.

Atok Aziz would have been out of place in today's Umno. He would have not been able to fathom the extravagance of Azalina Othman Said, a daughter of former Director General of Kemas, I'm sure.

Hanya Allah membalas jasa Atok. Al-Fatihah

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

bro rizal,

good that you pointed out the former ambassador's role in the torch relay....but one question

WHAT IT GOT TO DO WITH YOUR DATOK?

love the blog, love the comments, but failed to understand this piece of posting...you trying to say that you come from a long line of umno leaders? please la bro, never expected you to go this kind of road

this blog is about what's wrong in sports in malaysia...but i smell some connections to the politics of the day....please dont politicise this blog or you might just turned off many of your visitors

ikhlas, biarpun jauh

tengkiu

me, monami from lyon

rizal hashim said...

My friend from Lyon,

Thank you for your comments.

Much appreciated.

However please remember sports and politics in Malaysia especially, are intertwined.

Also remember our Sports Ministers over the years all came from Umno.

Who better to scrutinise their performance other than Umno members themselves?

When I was actively reporting, I was known to question many things, so much so many accused me of having an agenda.

Azalina's inner circle were fond of using this excuse whenever I wrote articles questioning her policies.

Them seemed to imply that I did not understand their agenda, I don't know whether they were serving their agenda, Umno's agenda, or who ever's agenda but I stood my ground because of my principles!

I don't intend one bit to politicise this blog but if you noticed, the individual that has come under greatest scrutiny in this blog is a politician!

Politicians are answerable to us. Not vice versa.

Sixteen years in the reporting line gave me ample opportunities to mingle with politicians, regardless of their ideologies and affiliation.

Sports in Malaysia furthermore is driven by politicians.

In FAM their vice-presidents were mostly politicians through out the years.

Even their present No 2 YB Khairy Jamaluddin is a politician.

This blog is not restricted to criticising or taking potshots at sports leaders.

It should also serve as a platform to provide ideas and solutions to our sports fraternity.

Above all it has something to do with my personal opinions, sentiments, feelings and experience.

Do realise that despite the loose cannon title, I've offered condolences and written obituaries in this little known blog of mine.


Salam. And merci beacoup, mon ami.

Just for your info, I wrote this just two days before the recent GE.

SPORTS, in many ways, is a metaphor for life.
Notice how the language of politics is permeated with terms or
expressions such as "it's a marathon, not a sprint", "a level playing field" and "the ball is in his court".
Far from being separate, politics and sports in Malaysia have always been intertwined.
Football, for instance, exerts enormous popular interest and the
confluence is illustrated through the influential political figures
behind the game ever since Father of Independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman
Al-haj, presided over the FA of Malaya, the forerunner of FA of Malaysia (FAM), and later the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
In a way, football and politics in Malaysia are as connected as the
boot and ball.
The sports terrain, after all, is the perfect training ground to master the intricate techniques of political pugilism.
Therefore, it is not a surprise that many politicians contesting the 12th General Elections are somehow connected to the game in one way or another.
The highest profile individual is of course FAM deputy president,
Khairy Jamaluddin.
A keen social footballer who represented Oxford University as a
striker, Khairy is making his ebut in the GE by contesting the Rembau
Parliamentary seat.
Also an avid polo player and a golfing enthusiast, Khairy nitiated
reality TV show MyTeam in 2006 before winning the FAM deputy presidency uncontested last September.
He may have been branded budak nakal or 'maverick' by his political rivals, but the 32-year- old Manchester United and Kedah fan has injected a breath of fresh air into FAM, and above all, a strong factor in sourcing for funds in his capacity as the Malaysia Super League Sdn Bhd
chairman.
His opponent for the Rembau seat is Badrul Hisham Shaharin, a former
school footballer and one-time National Silat Federation (Pesaka) member and secretary of the Seni Silat Lincah Association of Negri Sembilan.
Five State FAs - Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Penang and Perlis - are presided by either the Menteri Besar or the Chief Minister.
Except for outgoing Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, who has been moved to a Parliamentary seat in Batu Kawan, the rest will defend their State Assembly seats.
Most notable among them is Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri
Mohamad Hasan who represented his State in the Burnley Cup apart from
being active in rugby and sepaktakraw during his student days at Universiti Malaya.
Perlis Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, is not only the
Perlis FA president but also the president of a number of national sports associations, namely the Malaysian Amateur Athletics Union, the Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia and the Kabaddi Association of Malaysia.
Arguably Perak's most successful team manager, Datuk Seri Raja Ahmad
Zainuddin Raja Omar, is contesting the Kubu Gajah State seat after
serving as an MP for Larut for two terms.
"Having been a State Assemblyman for Batu Kurau before, I'm confident of winning the seat," said Raja Ahmad, who is an exco member of FAM.
The top two managers of the Red Giants, team manager Datuk Satim Diman and his assistant, Datuk Subahan Kamal, will vie for a State seat.
Satim will defend his Seri Serdang State seat, while Subahan, Umno's version of MCA's Datuk Michael Chong, will make his debut at Taman Templer.
Standing on PAS' ticket for the Bunut Payong state seat is acting
president of Malaysian Malays Football Association, Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan, while Kelantan FA (Kafa) president and former Youth and Sports Minister, Datuk Annuar Musa, is contesting the Ketereh Parliamentary
seat.
Kafa deputy president, Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub, is contesting the Kemuning State seat.
Former Sabah team manager, Jahid Jahim, is seeking to represent the
people of Tamparuli while Perlis team manager, Datuk Ismail Kassim, who is Shahidan's brother, is contesting the Arau Parliamentary seat.
Kedah team manager Datuk Othman Aziz will defend his Ayer Hitam State seat. Former Perlis assistant team manager, Jamil Saad, will run for the Sena State seat.
Outside football, former Malaysian Rugby Union president Datuk Syed Razlan Putra Syed Jamalullail will contest the Pauh State seat, while silat's Datuk Osman Desa is running for a Parliamentary seat at Sik.
Malaysian Cricket Association of Malays finance secretary, Datuk Abdul Azim Zabidi, is contesting Bukit Gantang's State seat, while Malaysian Taekwondo Association deputy president, Datuk Ling Hee Leong, is running for the Gopeng parliamentary seat.
In Pahang, former Pahang football team manager Datuk Shahiruddin Abdul Moin is standing on BN's ticket at Dong State seat, while Datuk Seri Jamaluddin Jarjis who has yet to relinquish his presidency of the Equestrian Association of Malaysia, is defending his Rompin seat.
Running for the Selayang Parliamentary seat on PKR's ticket is former schoolboy sprinter, William Leong, an old boy of St John's Institution,
who could have pursued a career in athletics instead of studying law. He is a contemporary of Datuk Ellron Alfred Angin, who is contesting the Sook State seat in Keningau, Sabah.

Anonymous said...

Saudara Rizal,

Azalina ini memang terlampau. Sebelum dia menjadi menteri sukan, Majlis Sukan Negara ada RM200 juta dalam simpanan.
Tetapi hari ini, duit semua dah habis.

Saudara Rizal, tolong siasat.

Tanya Datuk Zol, MSN ada tak duit untuk bayar gaji perkerja.

Tanya dia mana datangnya duit untuk pekerja. Mungkin saudara Rizal akan terkejut.

Sekian, terima kasih.