Discipline lacking in DB

01/06/2002

THE Malaysian Hockey Federation Disciplinary Board (MHFDB) needs to instill discipline on their members first, before handing out punishments to unruly players.
The MHFDB met yesterday to deliberate on RAMD player Shukur Hassan's assault case on umpire B. Shaji, but the meeting was almost cancelled one hour after it was supposed to start because of a lack of quorum.
Only three members, the MHFDB chairman Sulaiman Md Noor, Rahim Mohamed Ariff (member) and secretary S. Satgunam turned up and they needed another member to fill the quorum.
After an hour of frantic phone calls, Tan Foong Luen finally turned up
and the meeting started.
But neither Shukur, who kicked and punched Shaji in the final League
match between RAMD and Navy on May 19, or the assaulted umpire turned up for the DB. Instead, RAMD player Mej Jagjet Singh was the surprise.
Jagjet, who only received two green cards during the entire Malaysia
Hockey League, was called up by the DB for being too vocal on the pitch.
"I don't have a clue what I am doing here because I was suspended one
match (against Tenaga Nasional) for the two green cards and did not even receive a verbal warning from umpires during the rest of the matches.
"Even for the one-match suspension, I did not receive anything in
writing but was told four hours before the Tenaga match that I was not
eligible to play. I have served my green card offence, so why did the DB
call me now?
"The letter I received from MHFDB (signed by Satgunam) said that I
caused havoc and disrupted the flow of play during the MHL. Why didn't the umpires give me a yellow card if I was so disruptive? And why call me now?
"If being vocal on the pitch is crime, half of the MHL players should be
sitting next to me right now," said Jagjet.
At the end of the meeting, Satgunam shut the door on journalists by
saying that no decision had been taken on the two cases and the MHFDB will met againn to deliberate on the matter.
"I have nothing to say right now.
Whatever decision that was taken by the Disciplinary Board will only be
conveyed to the respective team managers."
Jagjet said that when he put his case forward to the MHFDB, they decided
to amend the charges to a lesser one.
"I still do not know why they hauled me up in the first place. As far as
I am concerned, I have done nothing wrong and don't deserve to be called
up by the DB. After I asked them to explain the charges against me, they
decided to reduce it to being vocal on the pitch," said Jagjet.
Satgunam, when asked when the Malaysian Hockey Federation are going to hold the two-year delayed council meeting, said he has too many things to do at the moment and did not have enough time to answer queries on the council meeting.
"I don't have the time to answer questions regarding the council
meeting. I have not even informed the affiliates. Why should I tell you?,"
said Satgunam.
At the end of the day, even Jagjet went home confused because the MHFDB did not want to tell him what his punishment was, for being vocal.
(END)