Sports Academy and World Cup dream

Sports Academy and World Cup dream

Provide more sports facilities locally

I refer to shocking revelation in your report “Sports centre plan stalled”(theSun,February14).

Malaysia playing in football's World Cup Finals is a dream of every citizen.The government has come up with numerous ambitious plans,costing millions of ringgit to make that dream a reality.It also wants to put our sportsman and sportswomen in par with others at international levels.

Will we ever achive that ambition of ours? If we continue with the present policies in sports, we will never realize this dream. The fiasco of the sports academy in Brickendonbury is a just simple illustration of our doomed mission even before it takes off the ground.

The cost of renovating the centre has been brought down tremendously from RM490 million to RM69 million.How this is possible is mind-boggling but RM69 million is still a large amount of money. Many of our schools, even the bestari ones, lack proper playing fields, badminton courts and facilities for other popular sports. The money could be better used to prop up these facilities in all schools especially those in rural areas.

We excelled in many sports before like badminton, hockey, athletics and football. Today we are lagging far behind in all every sport except badminton, even in that we are rapidly being overtaken by countries which were alien to the game not long ago. In squash and bowling we can count the number of players who have risen up to international excellence.

While we appreciate the government’s efforts to achieve excellence in sports, setting up a costly training centre in a foreign land is definitely not the right way. I can foresee it is doomed for failure, like many such projects locally and a mere waste of taxpayers’ money.

Who will be selected to undergo training at this centre in London? Will the selection be based merely on merit or some other criteria? Who will pay for expenses in traveling, food and lodging of these elite sportsmen and women?

It would be more beneficial and cost effective to build numerous football fields, badminton courts and even sports complexes in smaller towns and kampongs all over the country, which badly lack these facilities. Many existing open fields which used to be favorite places of recreation for our youngsters have been eliminated in the name of development.

Majority of sports heroes usually come from the masses and not from the rich and wealthy segment of the population. Unless we tap the great potentials that exist in the masses we will not succeed in selecting the best to represent the nation.

Football and hockey tournaments and athletic meets at school and district levels that used to be very popular in the sixties and seventies were effective ways to select talented young players for the state and national teams. These competitions are unheard of in most small towns these days. In fact many of us were selected via these competitions for further training at state level. Similar tournaments were also organized for athletics, basketball, volleyball and others.

We do not need sophisticated and high-tech sports complexes. The single most important means of developing a sport and spot talented players is to take the game to the masses all over the country. Facilities must be made available to them freely or at costs affordable to them. Selection of the players must be solely on merit not on favoritism.

We have the money and the talent, all we need is sufficient dedicated and loyal leaders who are genuinely interested to bring honor and glory, not for themselves but, for the nation. Until we find these leaders, which appears to be a formidable task, we have to be contended being mere spectators, at the most organizers, of international sports meets including the FIFA World Cup.

Dr.Chris Anthony


Bravo DrChris....I fully agree with you, as I, myself is a
sportswoman would like to help indians in this field but I notice
not many want to help nor give their support,I find it difficult to
move forward without any support from our indian friends.Hope others
out there would come forward to share and bring up the indian
community in sports.I am open to suggestions and my email

pg_rita@...

All races contributed to national development

Highlighting non-Malay contribution timely

I refer to your report “RTM to air films on non-Malay contributions”(Star February 27).

We welcome the statement by Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin that documentaries on the nation’s non-Malay freedom fighters will be aired over Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) soon.

This is long overdue and the minister must actively pursue this matter with urgency and whole-heartedly. There is no doubt that non-Malays have contributed a lot to the nation not only in the pre- and post-independent days but also in the decades that followed. In fact they are continuing to contribute immensely to the development of the nation on all fronts.

In is a pity that while our younger generations of Malaysians are fully aware of the contributions of our past Malay leaders but ignorant of those of the non-Malays. Not only the Chinese and Indian freedom fighters need to be given due recognition but all non-Malays citizens who have in many ways helped to make Malaysia what it is today, as their permanent home for them and their generations to come. Ignorance of the sacrifices of a particular group would only create jealousy and suspicion by others towards them.

Many non-Malays have indeed contributed excellently in the civil service, armed forces, police, judiciary, sports, the plantation and mining sectors. In fact they have contributed their services in almost every sector with great dedication and loyalty.

Denying their rightful place in the history of the nation has created a great deal of frustration and despair. Many are losing hope for a bright future in their own homeland, which they helped to build. Nationalism and patriotism should be the proud possession of all not one particular race.

The government should consider all citizens as equal partners in nation building and provide the opportunities for all based purely on merit. Only when citizens are given due recognition and appreciation for their sacrifices will they develop a sense of belonging which will in turn instill patriotism to the nation.

We must stress to our children that our nation is what it is today as a result of the sacrifices and contribution of all the various ethnic groups in the country. We have all toiled together to build our nation. No one single group should be solely credited for our success as this will only be detrimental to the progress of our nation.

Dr.Chris Anthony

Police prsence deters crime

Physical presence deters crime

It is indeed reassuring that the police and other government agencies are going all out to check crime and make our roads safe during the comming festive season. Their zeal to do that is apparent in implementing the Ops Limau and Ops Sikap XII.

As the members of the public, whose welfare and safety are utmost in the hearts of the enforcing agencies, we too must cooperate fully with them to make these operations a real success. Without our heartfelt cooperation all their efforts will be only in vain.

The idea of placing police officers on express buses is an ingenious one and should be commended. There is no doubt; the presence of the police on buses will enforce some degree of discipline on the roads. It is however equally important to ensure police presence along the highways and roads as well if we really want to reduce significantly the road accidents.

Similarly deploying more police personnel to patrol our neighborhoods is also worthy of praise. This would definitely keep the criminals at bay thereby creating a sense of security and confidence among the people.

From the initial response to these actions of our police is very encouraging. It can be concluded that the mere physical presence if police personnel is enough to instill discipline and stop errant divers on our roads. The site of police in our neighborhoods is enough in many instances to allay our fears and boost our confidence. It is also the best deterrent for would be criminals and thugs.

We hope these preventive actions of the police and other agencies would not be confined to just festive seasons but become a standard practice throughout the year until a time when the people attain a more disciplined and civic minded culture as a way of life.

To maintain an effective physical presence all the time may be costly and riddled with numerous problems and constraints but I bet it would be an investment that will never be regretted for generations to come.

Dr.Chris Anthony


Comments

I agree that the physical presence of the police do in a way deter crimes, nab a few errant motorists but however not an effective long term solution to why/what causes these terrible accidents and total waste of innocent lives. The News reporting alsd missed one vital piece of info - In fatal accidents, were the ppl in the car all wearing seat belts? Was the motorcyclist wearing a helmet properly buckled? Was the baby strapped in baby car seats at that time? This info not only provide a more accurate statistic but a valuable education tool and a constant reminder to all on the road the legal requirements of seabelts & helmets. In NZ & Australia all fatal road accidents are attended by apart from the police, the coroner,the crash scene unit but also the road planners to try and reconstruct & determine the probable cause of the accident.Apart from the obvious - speed, alcohol,not wearing seatbelts or helmets, it may be caused by any faults of the road eg dangerous incline/bends or even damaged seal.

"For our police force to mantain an effective physical presence all the time may be costly and riddled with numerous problems and constraints but I bet it would be an investment that will never be regretted for generations to come"

With the mentality of many motorist here, the best investment for generations to come is education, education and education. The drivers of today are the product of yesteryears, learning and observing their parents/elders ways of bad driving habits. The drivers of tomorrow will be the children of today watching the bad habits of parents drivers today!

Typical remarks.

No need seatbelts here lah - no police. Hello, do we wear seatbelts for the police? Seatbelts and helmets are to protect yourself and your love ones.

Everyday observation.
Dad on a bike, one sometimes two young child behind him and then wife at the rear. All not wearing helmets! You don't need to be speeding to cause serious head injuries or possible death if the bike falls over esp young children.

My guess is, it will take at least two generations to change the mentality, get rid of these bad habits, observe the road rules, drive in a responsible/orderly manner and respect other motorist on the road.

This is just one bug bear amongst others which badly affects our everday life in this country aiming for developed nation status and the list continues.....
So forget about 2020.Try 3020!

Cheers.

By kiwimy,
21-Feb-2007

Education our best tool for unity

Communal ties are at their most delicate in nearly four decades. It is terrifying to realise how easily racial and religious sentiments can be aroused by the powers-that-be for political advantage. The education system which has become more communal despite its supposed non-ethnic and non-religious status is the main reason for the growing division between the races. Initially, we had all races studying together in one class but then they were segregated by race for the purpose of religious and moral classes resulting in students of same race grouping together, but under the same roof. Today we have taken another backward step with each race studying in their own vernacular schools under separate roofs and rarely do they ever come together.

Learning of vernacular languages should be encouraged as by itself is not the cause of racial disunity. But segregating the pupils for the purpose is discriminative. In fact there is no better way of fostering racial integration other than encouraging our children to learn each others language.

We need to revamp the education system to return it to its original status and aspiration of unifying the races through the national schools. Our national schools must reflect our racial and religious diversity. Pupils of all races and creed must be placed in one class so that they can interact freely with one another. Emphasis on their common identities rather than their differences should be encouraged.

There should also be a racially balanced mix of teachers as well in all our national schools. It is common knowledge that if there is diversity in the same environment then there will be more tolerance and goodwill and that is the best way to fight fanaticism and fundamentalism in a community.

We need politicians who are true national leaders and not ethnic champions. In the 60s, every citizen looked up to politicians as Malaysian leaders but now we consider them as leaders of the Malays, Chinese or Indians. Problems faced by a community are solely left to its own minister to handle. Even the prime minister, who should be the leader of all races, is increasingly seen as the leader of the Malays only.

Our divide along ethnic lines is beginning to be seen as a great loss to the nation’s productivity and competitiveness. If we want to survive and succeed in this globalised world, we Malaysians - regardless of race - must unite and pool our resources and expertise so as to remain competitive
We yearn for the day when Malaysians will share a single identity, but gauging by present developments in the country, this is fast eluding us. Our aspiration for a united Malaysia is sadly not being appreciated by the present generation of leaders who are taking over the reins of power and the visions envisaged by our founding forefathers is fast eluding us.

We must urgently wake up from the denial syndrome that has inflicted our society, act fast to re-build our resources by uniting the people of various ethnicity. The sooner we do that the better our chances of success in a highly competitive world.

Dr.Chris Anthony


Comments:

The TRUE fact is communal approach and interest will never change. Our dream of having one Malaysian Race and one Malaysian National can NEVER come true even 100 years from now. We have leaders championing their respective race and religion for their political mileage , particularly the main ruling and leading party. Not only they champion their own race and religion , they even go to the extend of downing the others as threats to their existence despite the fact they are ruling and the majority , how SILLY - ASN

By asneoh, 8-Feb-2007

Review text book loan scheme

Free textbooks for those who really deserve

Come the month of January each year, parents are burdened with the expenses to provide education for their children. The amount needed keeps increasing every year. These include the money required for school uniform, attire for sports and co-curricular activities, shoes, transport, books, tuition fees and food. The amount needed may come up to hundreds of ringgit per child , which becomes beyond the means of an average wage earner with a number of school going children.

The government did the right thing in coming up with the text book loan scheme in all schools to ease the financial burden of the people. It was with the sole noble intention of providing the all important education that is vital for its citizens.

According to this scheme parents with an income of RM1000 and more are not eligible for free text books for their children. At the present cost of living this limit I feel is grossly unjust, as RM 1,000 is such negligible amount for even a family of four these days. There are so many parents with income exceeding this limit but are really finding ends meet and have to resort to loan sharks, the consequences of which we are all familiar.

The implementation of the free textbook scheme needs to be reviewed. By strictly relying solely on documents to prove one’s salary, a large number of genuine applicants are rejected whereas many with more than the stipulated income but “tahu jalan” are granted the free textbooks. It is indeed sad that a “I win all always” culture is gaining roots in our country. There is total disregard for those genuinely in need. Even what is rightfully theirs is snatched away by those who “tahu jalan”.

A more comprehensive mechanism should be implemented in selecting those who require assistance with the textbooks. Families with a total income of less than RM2,000 should automatically qualify for the free textbook scheme. Those with more than RM2,000 but less than RM5,000 should be scrutinized by a case by case basis. All essential financial commitments of the parents should be examined, such as number of dependents (children and aged parents), medical expenditure, house loans, motor vehicle loans and so on.

We are sure many teachers and headmasters are aware of the plight of these poor parents but are unable or refuse to help because of strict enforcement of the stipulated salary limit. This is a pitiful state of affairs of our administration. We have very good and fantastic plans but many of them fail because of poor implementation due to lack of the human touch of those entrusted with the powers to do so.

Dr.Chris Anthony

Racial unity

Education our best tool for unity

Communal ties are at their most delicate in nearly four decades. It is terrifying to realise how easily racial and religious sentiments can be aroused by the powers-that-be for political advantage. The education system which has become more communal despite its supposed non-ethnic and non-religious status is the main reason for the growing division between the races.

Initially, we had all races studying together in one class but then they were segregated by race for the purpose of religious and moral classes resulting in students of same race grouping together, but under the same roof. Today we have taken another backward step with each race studying in their own vernacular schools under separate roofs and rarely do they ever come together.

Learning of vernacular languages should be encouraged as by itself is not the cause of racial disunity. But segregating the pupils for the purpose is discriminative. In fact there is no better way of fostering racial integration other than encouraging our children to learn each others language.

We need to revamp the education system to return it to its original status and aspiration of unifying the races through the national schools. Our national schools must reflect our racial and religious diversity. Pupils of all races and creed must be placed in one class so that they can interact freely with one another. Emphasis on their common identities rather than their differences should be encouraged.

There should also be a racially balanced mix of teachers as well in all our national schools. It is common knowledge that if there is diversity in the same environment then there will be more tolerance and goodwill and that is the best way to fight fanaticism and fundamentalism in a community.

We need politicians who are true national leaders and not ethnic champions. In the 60s, every citizen looked up to politicians as Malaysian leaders but now we consider them as leaders of the Malays, Chinese or Indians. Problems faced by a community are solely left to its own minister to handle. Even the prime minister, who should be the leader of all races, is increasingly seen as the leader of the Malays only.

Our divide along ethnic lines is beginning to be seen as a great loss to the nation’s productivity and competitiveness. If we want to survive and succeed in this globalised world, we Malaysians - regardless of race - must unite and pool our resources and expertise so as to remain competitive
We yearn for the day when Malaysians will share a single identity, but gauging by present developments in the country, this is fast eluding us. Our aspiration for a united Malaysia is sadly not being appreciated by the present generation of leaders who are taking over the reins of power and the visions envisaged by our founding forefathers is fast eluding us.

We must urgently wake up from the denial syndrome that has inflicted our society, act fast to re-build our resources by uniting the people of various ethnicity. The sooner we do that the better our chances of success in a highly competitive world.

Dr.Chris Anthony