It is going to be a bleak Hari Raya for the dozens of Umpires and Technical Officials that served in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League.
They served unselfishly in the heat and rain, forking out their hard earned money to travel to venues, to ensure the future generation of hockey players get to showcase their ability.
The MJHL was completed in March and the sponsors had paid their commitment towards the tournament that was inaugurated in 1995.
So what happens to the money and why are these officials still waiting for their money?
Remember that most of them have Hari Raya to celebrate next week and as one lamented, we do not have money to lighten the lamps to usher in the joyful occasion.
Each official is owed a sum averaging RM800 to RM1,000 and surely those who had promised to overcome the RM2.7 million debut should do the correct thing.
Staff at MHC have received their July salaries in advance plus a Raya Bonus of RM1,000 each but what about those owed money months ago.
Perhaps not paying the CEO and two others who have been receiving money for their supposedly voluntary work could have gone towards paying these umpires.
What about money used for the trip of a support group to Antwerp.
Getting priorities right was never a forte of administrators in the past and obviously the new brooms do not sweep well.
Talking about being above board and transparent in their dealings, perhaps the CEO would want to issue a Press Statement as to what happened to the money paid by the sponsors?
And word has it that even the sponsors might be replaced due to greed instead of loyalty to someone who has stood through thick and thin before some childish character was born.
