`Gag order' serves no purpose

12/07/2002

SPORTS Minister Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein does not agree with
associations who force a gag order down the throats of their officials.
"I do not understand the rationale of asking officials to keep quiet
because it is not good for the growth of associations."
"If the officials have valid points, they should be allowed to speak for
the betterment of the sport. Asking them to keep quiet will be detrimental
to the sport," said Hishammuddin after handing the Malaysian flag to the
Manchester Commonwealth Games chef-de-mission W.Y Chin at Bukit Jalil.
The Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) held a meeting with umpires and
officials of the Junior Hockey League on Wednesday and warned their
officials that stern action will be taken against those who speak to the
Press.
After their Executive Council Meeting on July 5, the MHF issued a gag
order on state secretaries but have since made a blanket order on all
their officials.
And when an official who attended the umpires and technical meeting was
approached, he said: "I have been told not to make any statements to the
Press by the MHF. I was also warned that stern action will be taken
against anyone who speaks to the Press," said the official.
And the official's parting words were: "The MHF have promised us a
`surprise in a few days time', we have been told to wait and see for
ourselves."
The word in the grapevine is that the MHF will hold an Emergency Council
Meeting on July 18 because a handful of new matters have since cropped up
and they can't wait till August 18 as decided in their recent Executive
Council Meting.
The MHF council took the drastic stand after Penang Hockey Association
secretary Ranjit Singh and Kuala Lumpur Hockey Association secretary V.
Rajamanickam came out strongly to criticise the parent body for not doing
enough for the sport.
The Executive Council also announced that a written explanation will be
required from Ranjit and Rajamanickam. But to date, no showcause letters
have been sent out to the duo.
The amazing thing was that others who also criticised the MHF like vice-
president Datuk Jalil Majid, the secretaries of Terengganu and Kelantan
and KLHA president Tan Sri Noordin Hassan were not taken to task by the
Executive Council.
"Instead of ordering their officials to keep quiet, associations have
the avenue of punishing officials who make untrue statements. I personally
feel that it is better to let the officials make their stand and then
punish or praise them," said Hishammuddin.
Hishammuddin also felt that a gag order does not gurantee that the
association will not be criticised or does not have flaws.
"It does not gurantee the smooth running of an association, so I see no
point in issuing gag oders to officials," he said.
(END)