Why do some Affiliates of MHF wait for 8 months to contemplate undoing possible wrongs in MHF?

In MHF, most of the Affiliates are what i refer to as "sleeping giants". What i mean by this, is that they are most of the time asleep and only awake when canvassed by certain parties to undertake a major task. Just like the "Mexican wave" these Affiliates would automatically react based on the prevailing sentiment. Thereafter if no one continues creating the "waves", the Affiliates are quite contented to pursue their "hibernation". In reality, this is the benchmark of most of the Affiliates.

More annoying with their style is that they wait for an appropriate moment to make known their views ie when the "chips" are down eg. when the various national teams do not perform to expectation. Until then they do not make recommendations or suggestions or even complaints. They take the view that MHF should be given enough rope to "hang" themselves with whatever decisions they have made. They somehow seem to be importing a"political style" approach into sports organisation.

Indeed it was rumoured that some Affiliates were going to use the issues related to the appointment of coaches and team managers as a means of attempting to bring a "motion of no confidence" against the current leadership in MHF. In fact, some indicate it was supposed to be more related to the Deputy President, who had undertaken certain functions that have become questionable. Whatever it may be, it is absolutely a "dumb founded" idea, if people had even contemplated it.

Firstly, the appointments were undertaken by the Team Management Committee (TMC). How the TMC was set-up and constituted, boggles everyone. The TMC was apparently not endorsed at the Congress or at the Council and probably has given rise to the present problem. Still the Management Committee has the powers to delegate its day to day functions and maybe that is where the TMC may have derived its role.

Even if its formation and how it was constituted may be questionable but then all these took place in January 2009 and a significant time had passed before certain parties choose to make it an issue. More so as there were Council Meetings and other meetings where such issues could have been raised. If any, the appointments by the TMC was endorsed by the Council.

There is no doubts that wrongs must not be left unattended or not rectified. Therefore the TMC's formation and how people were selected is an issue. It was a issue in January 2009 and maybe in February and pushing luck till March. However, during these period, nothing was raised or done on the issue as most of the concerned Affiliates were "happy go lucky" including some being preoccupied with their involvement in the Junior World Cup. In fact i was one of those who raised it in my blog and yet there was a total lack of interest by anyone to pursue matters. With time the Affiliates had acquiesce the existence of the TMC and the appointments they had made.

So why should some of the Affiliates "cry over spilled milk?". The reason being some "smart chap" felt the poor performance of the Senior and Junior teams provided enough ammunition to solicit support to make a case out of such issues. An act that seems to carry flavours of revenge and vengeance.

The rationale for this argument is built on the premise of a view that people in the TMC and some who were appointed into various positions were instrumental in removing certain parties from MHF in the last BGM. The wounds have yet to heal and the "open cut" provides sufficient reminders that something must be down. It is all about grievances and not hockey that drives people to adopt "an eye for an eye" approach to settle the score.

The weak link in the TMC would be the Chairman of the Coaching Committee. The Chairman of the Coaching Committee had apparently endorsed the appointments without referring to his Committee. Further the make-up of his Committee may not have met the constitutional requirements and some of the Chairman's decisions may infringe the principles of natural justice. If there is truth in the preceding lines then there is a case to pursue but then why wait 8 months. Even more confusing is some of these Affiliates had endorsed the appointments at a Council meeting.

In all these the TM could have become a victim of the people who are greedy for power and would manipulate matters to take advantage of the prevailing scenario ie when MHF is at its lowest ebb. Obviously, they miscalculated and did not realise the TM's strength, which is his genuine interest and intent to uplift Malaysian hockey.