The venue - Mohd Zian Johari's residence at UK Perdana
In a nutshell - place for Zian's old Cabinet of Berita Harian/Harian Metro's movers and shakers to catch up.
Getting eight former sports journalists, two of them having occupied the Berita Harian's sports editor's post and another the same position at Utusan Malaysia, to be in the same living room was a rare occasion indeed.
Zian, sports editor of Berita Harian 1988-1994, played host to:
Razali Yahya, winner of the MPI awards in 1985 for his investigative piece on the misappropriation of funds involving a top cop, later bureau chief at Kuantan and BH sports editor 2000-2002
Rodly Nayan, former editor of Mingguan Bola Sepak and Arena Bola Sepak and later sub-editor of Berita Harian, also a former MPI award winner, now a publisher in his own right
Haji Johari Mohd, former BH and HM sports reporter, now HM executive editor
Haji Ali Mansor Aman, who retired as the HM assistant editor
Zubairi Zabidin, former HM special projects editor
Haji Jalil Hussin, former executive sub-editor at BH
Ismail Ahmad, former Utusan Malaysia sports editor
Zainuddin Ayip, former Berita Minggu editor
Rahim Lajis, former BH sports reporter, Kuching bureau chief and later Utusan Malaysia's sub-editor, now Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM) general secretary
as well as loose cannon
Twice Haji Ali Mansor Aman became an assistant to Zian, first as BH assistant sports editor and later assistant editor of Harian Metro. Here Ali is pictured with former special projects editor of HM, Zubairi Zabidin
One of Tan Sri Hamzah Abu Samah's confidante, Ismail Ahmad, or Iba to many. A former sports editor of Utusan Malaysia, he later worked at Berita Harian and used to sub loose cannon's copies. When loose cannon met Hamzah last year, Ismail's name was, naturally, mentioned 
Zian and Razali Yahya, members of the legendary Berita Harian sports desk in the 80s. Both went on to occupy the coveted sports editor's seat
Zian and Zain Ayip
Zian's trusted lieutenants - Haji Johari Mohd who is now Harian Metro's executive editor, Rodly Nayan, Ismail Ahmad, Hj Jalil Husin
Recalling the days when Zian was the shining star in NSTP
Razali Yahya sells his story to Zian, Rahim Lajis and Zian's bro-in-law, Afandi Majid. "During our time it was normal for New Straits Times to translate our stories!"
The storyteller as animated as ever..."you came to my in-laws place in Rengam with your girlfriend" he recalled. "Oh but I ended up marrying someone else!" 
Harian Metro's ascenscion to the top of the charts took place during Zian's tenure. Due credit was given by the top management but not Tun Razak's former press secretary, Abdullah Ahmad "Dollah Kok Lanas". Tak percaya? Ask the Equinas CEO/former Media Prima CEO/NSTP director on the right
Or this MRCB CEO/NSTP director
The sports desk was known for its solidarity and espirit de corp. Break of fast at Zian's old place 1993. The BH sports desk team of early 90s. Standing from left: Azizah, Mohd Ali Majid, Solmi Ahmad, V. Ashok, Saufi Hamzah, Zulkifli Ibrahim, Rodly Nayan, Ismail Ahmad, Shahruddin Ramli, Rahimuddin Razak, Lukman Salleh, loose cannon, Nasir Ahmad, Abdul Rahim Zain, Norbakti Alias, Badrulhisham Othman. Middle row from left Kak Pah, Ishak Dalib, Md Zali Kasran, Zian Johari, Kak Mizar, Yati. Seated from left Jamhariah Jaafar, Veena Rusli, Aspara Rusli and Natasha Rusli...when Zian was made the Harian Metro editor in April 1994, he gradually instilled the sense of belonging to the paper by establishing Kelab Met
The BH sports desk team were called Jagoan. Class of 1993 - Back row: Abdul Rahim Zain, who was a former NS Malays/ITM footballer, Saufi Hamzah, Mior, Solmi Ahmad. Front row: Rosli Safar, Rodly Nayan, loose cannon (either mascot of the team or centre of attention as usual), Nasir Ab Wahab and Ishak Dalib. With his Liam Brady-like skills a thing of the past, Zian's role was reduced to becoming the team manager
5 comments:
Bro,
What a great reunion!
They could easily form a new publication - magazine and newspaper.
But I was not invited. Ini yang buat I cemburu dan geram. Zian and I selalu makan dan minum sampai larut pagi di Bangsar dulu. Macam2 cerita.
Zian may be using a new fon number. I tried many times his old number but no answer at all.
And Rizal, you are a great little brother too!
Cheers.
Old buddie
Bangsar
So many familiar faces that I have the pleasure of knowing.
Zian - u r great...remember when your bag got stranded in Hongkong on the way to Beijing AG together with about 40 other bags. After 3 days yr bag was the last to arrive and I made sure that it was sent to yr hotel immediately. For that I got a big picture of me waving a big Malaysian flag after we won the Sepak Takraw Gold. Fortunately that pic has gone missing. Appreciate if somehow u could obtain a cop.
Razali - u deserve the award - Jakarta SEA G 87. Kita tak pergi - One evening I landed at yr desk. At that time in JKT the Cycling Road Race was taking place. U call Daud Kassim over the phone and from then on Daud was relaying the progress of the race sampai tamat. U decided to do the story based on that. Kumaresan & the team won both the GOLDs and he went on to be the Olahragawan Kebangsaan 87..That was some reporting.
Selamat Hari Raya semua.
Ashok - Happy Deepavali..
Zubir Ahmad
Sdra Rizal,
You are right. The sense of belonging to the paper, solidarity and espirit de corp among the staff those days were so fantastic.
No wonder BH Sports Desk was such a delight to read at that time.
No wonder too Harian Metro/Metro Ahad is the No 1 paper now in the country.
But then the new HM regime needs a paradigm shift to produce more front page stories with quality.
I notice too much rubbish in the inside pages.
A balance of quality and quantity should be the HM/MA future.
Circulation can be guarded with more quality ads.
Please Rizal, tell the new regime, if they are so contented now with their present HM/MA product, the readers will run away in one or two years time.
Nong Tik
Petaling Jaya
Im sure at that time,..things were better at Bh sports desk..main Piala Dunia BH pun nampak mcm solid team.
Mcm tu lah baru sports desk,.org yang tau main sport dan bila tulis sports, feel dia lebih bro..
But the same cannot be said about the current BH Sports desk,..bila main tournerment mana2 pun,..kena ayam je..malu lah beb...:)
Main media-msn game bulan depan pun confirm kena ayam lagi..hehehehe
Jgn marah ya kwn2 BH..:) It's just a challenge for you guys to give a better fight at MSN-Media Games nanti..:)
Good stories but does anybody remember who made the first move to start BHFC back in 1979?
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