WHAT do you call a sport where one side follows the rules to the letter while the other carries on like it’s already won the trophy?
Welcome to the Theatre of the absurd — also known as the Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) saga.
Just days ago, the Chairperson of the Sports Dispute Committee (SDC), Datuk Low Beng Choo, made a clear and firm declaration:
“The matter is sub-judice. We cannot comment on anything, including whether appointments made by either party are legal or not.”
Simple, right? Respect the legal process. Let the court rule. No one — not even the Minister — is to jump the gun.
And yet, somewhere between the spirit of cricket and the ghost of constitutional righteousness, a press statement bearing the MCA letterhead has emerged like a rogue delivery, shouting: “Respect our authority! Here are the election results! Move on!”
The catch?
But here’s the catch — the election in question is the very process under judicial scrutiny. In fact, it’s not just under the court’s microscope — it’s also before the SDC, which has yet to complete its review based on a detailed complaint and appeal by Mohammed Iqbal Ali Kassim Ali, who has been MCA President since 2021.
Mohammed Iqbal and his exco have remained completely silent in public, choosing instead to honor the due process and the Sports Development Act 1997 by:
- Writing to the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) under Section 23,
- Submitting a detailed legal appeal to the SDC under Section 24, and
- Not participating in the AGM election, respecting both the ongoing court case and Malaysia’s rule of law.
So, the question looms:
If the process is sub judice and the legitimacy of positions unverified — why are some acting like they hold definitive authority?
The OCM Contradiction Comedy
The OCM, in response to Mohammed Iqbal’s complaint, delivered a bewildering performance of its own:
On one hand, it declared: “We have no jurisdiction over this internal matter.”
On the other, it proclaimed (without irony): “The EGM and AGM were conducted in line with the MCA Constitution… all good.”
This is the bureaucratic equivalent of a referee saying, “I’m not officiating this match, but I think it was a fair match and there is no foul-play.”
Even more puzzling, Datuk Ahmad Feisal Ahmad Tajuddin, who carried himself as the "so-called" Acting President of MCA at the time and who filed the court case, is also the Honorary Treasurer of OCM — a glaring conflict of interest that casts a shadow over every word in OCM’s response.
Mohammed Iqbal, in his SDC letter, put it plainly: “If OCM says they have no jurisdiction, why are they validating the meeting outcomes? That’s not neutrality — that’s narrative-pushing.”
Sub Judice, or Selective Justice?
Let’s not forget — it was Ahmad Feisal who initiated legal action against Iqbal and four Exco members. And while those five men stepped back to let the courts do their work, the “yet-to-be-legitimised elected” Exco marched on, issuing press statements, holding meetings, entering into contracts by making appointments of individuals in various positions and calling for respect and recognition.
Definitive authority?
One might ask: If the matter is sub-judice and the legitimacy of positions unverified — why is anyone acting like they hold definitive authority?
Even more curious — the MCA election results were blasted publicly in a press release.
Yes, the results of a closed-door, members-only election — a process never meant for the public domain — were suddenly used as a centre stage in a public relations campaign. Why?
One State Association Member didn’t hold back: “Mohammed Iqbal and the others stayed away in full respect of the legal process. Yet those claiming victory are out here brandishing titles like medals and telling everyone to bow. It’s not just disrespectful — it borders on contempt.”
Council Meetings or Political Stage Plays?
If that wasn’t enough, Richard Tan who won the election of the Honorary Secretary role unopposed at the disputed election by shock and surprise, having been unfamiliar in the national cricket scene and without a track record compared to others who were nominated in various roles, used his powers and summoned a Council Meeting on 28 June 2025 — the second this year.
The first Council Meeting, on 13 April, was described by members as “a waste of time”, with one State Chairman stating:
“We gathered just to witness one man, Mahinda Vallipuram, be appointed to fill a vacancy. No other agenda. We weren’t allowed to speak. What is this — a democracy or a monarchy?”
“These same ‘cricket bullies’ were quoting constitutional clauses as if it were holy scriptures, but failed to see the Constitution doesn’t even require an agenda for a Council Meeting!
"Is this 2nd Council Meeting also going to go to waste? Will this be the stage that the current parties carrying themselves as MCA Exco despite the dispute that one of their members brought to court not yet finalized, making them illegitimate till the process is resolved, push their narratives on these matters and force it upon all the states?
Are they afraid of the truth? Is there only one side to a coin? Is all this a waste of time for the stakeholders of this meeting as this could be deemed null and void later?
Will this also be called illegitimized?" said a State Cricket Association member
The same state EXCO member for cricket added "Or will they actually use the platform to allow all states to be the center of the meeting and put all focus in hearing the state associations’ arising matters at their levels, and supporting the states which is the main rightful purpose of the council meeting?"
"Some unruly people and who has never lifted a finger in the capacity of administration of a cricket association for more than five minutes with zero track record and experience have bullied their way to the top and secured positions by riding on narratives instead of performance and merit and contribution, in the most controversial elections in the history of Malaysian Cricket ever.
And that has tainted cricket in Malaysia forever." said a former cricket coach who shared his views.
And the kicker?
"It is disgusting and a mockery and what is worse is I have heard that employees of the MCA office are also implicated and were part of this whole ugly debacle with strong suggestions of sabotage with their involvement.
So, when I say it is disgusting, it is very disgusting at an unfathomable levels."
The Real Questions
Let’s ask the questions that every cricket-loving Malaysian deserves answers to:
Why are people acting in roles that haven’t been legitimized?
Who is advising them to proceed? Lawyers? Someone more powerful?
If the matter is sub-judice, could this not be contempt of court?
Is there an “invisible hand” behind all this — and if so, who?
One former national cricketer dropped the mic with this: “They called out Mohammed Iqbal for using the MCA letterhead before the court case began. Now they’re using the same letterhead to issue public press releases about an election still in dispute? This is the best comedy of the year — popcorn and cola, please!”
The Only Right Thing to Do
One State Cricket Association chairman offered a final word of wisdom: “Let both sides step back and everyone else who is implicated to step aside as well. Seek the SDC to step in and appoint an interim committee who are from other sports to steer MCA while the court does it work, to oversee the basic operations of cricket and work with the states.
Freeze and suspend all financial contracts until this is resolved. Any national selection matters done by an official committee should be endorsed by the interim committee. This way is clean and independent of any controversy and allows for the SDC and court do their jobs.
That’s the only righteous move left, that is if everyone, irrespective of who they are and whoever they are supporting or favoring in this debacle, has cricket's best interests at heart." said the former national athlete.
Conclusion: The Game Isn’t Over Yet
Until the court rules and the SDC reviews the entirety of the MCA crisis — from constitutional breaches to affiliate manipulation — no one can claim moral or legal high ground.
This isn’t about who wins the Exco chair.
It’s about restoring integrity to the game.
And right now, it looks like one side is quietly batting by the rulebook — while the other is playing with a microphone, a megaphone, and no umpire in sight.
Let’s put politics aside and protect sport. Let the court rule. Let the SDC decide.
And until then — stop the circus. – June 20, 2025
A concerned watcher of Malaysian cricket’s most absurd season yet
(A reader of The Vibes)
