CELEBRATION FOR SELVA
Having heard all kind of versions regarding my departure as Media Officer of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, I feel that the time has come for me to clarify matters for the benefit of readers and those who follow my twitter.
When the incident of the coach barging into the media centre first occurred, I highlighted the matter to the Organising Chairman Dato Abdul Rahim Mohd Ariff, Malaysian Hockey Confederation Senior Vice President Dato Nur Azmi Ahmad, Hon. Secretary Mohd Johari Abdul Aziz as well as Organising Secretaries Selva and Hashim.
While Hashim showed some concern by trying to contact the coach concerned, the others merely brushed it off as a small incident ( wonder how they would have felt if I walked up to them in the VIP box and showered them with verbal abuse infront of foreign dignitaries).
Having said that I made it clear that I expected them to provide assurance towards my personal safety as I was carrying out my responsibilities as an appointed official. Never did I ask then to get the coach to apologize to me as a pre-condition for me to continue with my responsibilities.
However nothing happened with regards to the request for additional security, mind you the media centre has valuable equipment lying around.
All that was communicated to me by Rahim was that HRH Sultan Azlan wanted me to continue with my role.
I then requested Dato Rahim for an audience with HRH but was flatly refused and told that it was already briefed to HRH and that I should continue.
Upon insisting that HRH be told the truth by me personally, I was then replaced by Dato Rahim who provided me with a few names as possible replacements with one name confirmed late Friday night.
In the meantime the MHC Hon Secretary went on yo approve a media pass for an applicant from a equipment supplier, which again contravenes all regulations in force.
And on Saturday morning Dato Rahim went on to inform the Organising Committee the name of the new media officer. I this vacated my room at the official hotel, having to pay the staff at the Media Centre our of my own pocket as they refused to pay the allowances due to the staff.
Unknown to me at that time, the Organising Secretary Selva had already initiated a celebration to celebrate my departure. It was then that I found out that Dato Rahim had not wanted me in the first place as he had told the Organising Committee sometime in March that I will be involved in a temple function in Malacca, which is a blatant lie as that was never the case.
I had declined the appointment initially as I was to go to Wuhan for the Thomas/ Über Cup Finals but relented when approached by Tan Sri P. Alagendra.
Even during the preparation stage of the program book all kind of obstacles were thrown in my path.
I was also asked by the Tournament Director on the circumstances leading to my departure.
During the first match on Sunday the said coach had a chat to clarify matters and it was amicably settled as he was acting in impulse and I considered that issue with him closed.
The Tournament Director then spoke to me asking if I could resume my duties to which I replied in the affirmative but informed him that it should come from the Organising Committee.
Hashim then approached me and said that he would get the letter for me to continue with my work on Monday. However late that night he informed me that Dato Rahim and Johari did not want to sign a letter and it was the end of the matter.
So was it a directive from HRH that I supposedly ignored when I even checked with Col Dato Rahim the Private Secretary to HRH? There was no such thing for I would have carried out my duties had the aspect of increased security be handled.
Now these personalities are having a field day bad mouthing me in the VVIP stands as their Media Centre is in chaos, with payment to me for work done yet to be honored as they open bottles to celebrate my departure.
Such is their conduct that I seat in the open terraces and tweet matches under the threat of rain and hot sun, not even allowed to use the toilet facilities at the grandstand.
And the website is normally provided the match sheets after every game but the staff at MHC are behaving akin to Little Napoleons as they have refused to email statistics and match sheets with the Secretary hapless to do anything, perhaps party to this sordid affair as he keeps claiming this is a small matter.
Well you can take a government staff out of a building but not the mentality I guess.
So there goes it, the truth of the matter as some wanted me out for the simple reason they were purely jealous of my ability and felt threatened as I had the ear of HRH.
I am proud that HRH had listed me as one who is to receive a state award this year but these officials could not bear that thought, with them asking why was I given such award.
Perhaps they should have asked HRH when they went around using his name.
