Sultan Azlan summons top guns

11/05/2002

LOOKING for answers, Malaysian Hockey Federation president Sultan Azlan
Shah summoned his top officials to the Istana Perak in Kuala Lumpur
yesterday.
The meeting began at 10am. And when it ended two hours later the
surprise exit from the Istana doors was made by Kuala Lumpur HA president
Tan Sri Noordin Hassan who does not hold a single post in the MHF.
Noordin, the former secretary general of the Education Ministry,
relinquished his posts in the MHF, first by not standing for the vice
president's post in 1993 when he stated "work commitments", and then as
the head of the competitions committee.
KHLA is his only link with hockey, but by attending the meeting
yesterday, he has opened up avenues for speculation.
The others summoned by the Sultan were MHF deputy president Tan Sri P.
Alagendra, vice presidents Datuk Abdul Manap Ibrahim and Datuk Abdul Jalil
Abdul Majid, secretary S. Satgunam and tresurer S.Perampalam.
While Noordin and Manap were in high spirits after the meeting, Satgunam
and Perampalam were in a sombre mood.
Missing from the list were vice presidents Roy Rajasingham, Bustari
Yusuf, and Datuk Bashir Ahmad Majid.
When approached for comments, Satgunam said it was only a routine
meeting. "Nothing to say, because this is just a routine meeting," said
Satgunam before getting into his car and driving off.
It was reliably learnt that Sultan Azlan summoned members of the
executive committe to explain allegations raised by their vice president
Jalil and also their affiliates.
And the issues raised at the Istana were about when to hold the council
meeting and an extraordinary general meeting which will be followed by the
MHF elections.
But the probability of holding elections soon is definitely out of the
question because the MHF claims that they have to first balance their
Kuala Lumpur World Cup books.
It is believed that the elections, which are long overdue, will be
dragged into the third term of 2002.
Jalil started the ball rolling by saying that, the MHF have not held a
single council meeting for three years, while the competitions committe,
chaired by Jalil, has not met since September 2000 despite him providing
dates for it.
And eight hockey associations, led by Penang HA, have come out since to
say that the MHF have done litle to help hockey at their level.
The MHF sub-committees have also not been meeting regularly and the
latest attack on them was made by the nations No 1 umpire Amarjit Singh
who said that the Malaysian Hockey Federation Umpires Board has done
little over the years to upgrade and promote their members.
The MHF council members have chosen to remain mum over the issue.
Yesterday, it was also reliably learnt that the MHF sent a letter to the
Sports Commissioner Datuk Mahmat Zabri Min on May 8, to apologise for
delaying the BGM which was supposed to be held in December last year.
Among their list of reasons was the proximity of staging the Kuala
Lumpur World Cup.
The Commissioner, when contacted, said he has yet to see the letter: "I
have written three letters to the MHF asking them about the BGM since
August last year, but I did not receive a single reply from them.
"If it is true that the MHF have sent a letter to my office, then they
have done the right thing. I will have to look at it first before making a
statement," said Zabri.
The MHF elections were supposed to be held in December last year.
(END)