'Alagendra must vacate post'

03/07/2002

THE Penang Hockey Association will be gunning for drastic changes in the
Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) when the long overdue council meeting is
held in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.
Top on their list is to see a change for the post of MHF deputy
president.
"The Penang HA do not agree with the proposal to allow Tan Sri P.
Alagendra to stay on for six months after the elections. We want him to
vacate his post because he has overstayed his welcome," said Penang HA
secretary Ranjit Singh yesterday.
The MHF, under heavy fire from States for not doing enough to promote
the game, had promised drastic changes.
One of the agreed terms was that, after this year's elections,
"Alagendra gave his 100 per cent assurance he will resign even before his
full term is over."
"We (the Penang HA) do not believe in this assurance. We will propose
that a new man takes over the deputy president's post during the council
meeting. We don't want him (Alagendra) to buy more time," said Ranjit.
Penang's choice for the post is Kuala Lumpur HA president Tan Sri
Noordin Hassan.
"We want Tan Sri Noordin to be the deputy president because he has shown
undying commitment to the sport by working in the shadows during the
Commonwealth Games and the Kuala Lumpur World Cup," said Ranjit.
Noordin had said that he is not interested in the post. But recently,
those close to him revealed that he is willing to become the MHF deputy
president provided he "gets to choose his own team."
MHF president Sultan Azlan Shah is also rumoured to be on the brink of
giving up his post, but one thing is for sure, vice-presidents and
chairmen of sub-committees who have been inactive for the past three years
will be told not to seek re-election during the biennial general meeting
later this year.
Among the committees that have come under fire are the technical and
development committee under Roy Rajasingham, the schools committee under
Lt Jen (R) Datuk Abdul Manap Ibrahim, and the Umpires Board chaired by V.
Kulasingam. The secretariat under general secretary S. Satgunam also took
some flak for not doing enough.
"Penang will also propose that vice-presidents are selected from States
because right now there is no accountability. Some of the present vice-
presidents have not been doing anything to promote the sport.
"They do not know what is happening in the various States. They do not
even call for regular meetings.
"If candidates are selected from States, we are sure they will do a
better job because they know the shortcomings," said Ranjit.
According to Ranjit, Malaysian hockey is heading nowhere. There are no
targets set to win the Asian, Olympic and World Cup titles.
"There must be a clear direction. We want a plan to be formulated where
Malaysia's target is to win gold in the 2006 Asian Games, gold in the 2008
Olympics and win the 2010 World Cup.
"It does not make sense for the MHF to just chug along without
direction. Hockey needs to win honours and a plan must be formulated, if
not, the existence of MHF cannot be justified," said Ranjit.
Right now, the various States are left on their own and they run the
show as and how they like.
States like Malacca are in a sorry state of affairs. They are the
defending Junior Hockey League champions yet have failed to put up a side
for this year's edition. More States are likely to follow this sorry trend
because the parent body neither helps nor encourages States to develop
grassroots hockey.
Terengganu, Kelantan, Johor, Negri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur and Penang are
just some of the States that have been vocal on the need for a total
revamp in the MHF.
(END)