THERE was a time when Malaysian sport had no money - but it had soul.
We beat Korea. We stood toe-to-toe with Japan. And, the whole nation stopped when football was played.
Datuk Mokhtar Dahari didn’t play for endorsements. Datuk Soh Chin Aun didn’t play for politics. Datuk R. Arumugam didn’t wear the jersey for power.
They played for Malaysia
There were no luxury contracts. No social media followings. No “branding opportunities.” What they had was something far more valuable: national pride.
When they stepped onto the pitch, Malaysians of every race, every religion, every background stood together—cheering the same name, carrying the same hope.
The same was true in badminton, hockey, athletics.
Sport was our common language; our shared heartbeat.
It was one of the few places where Malaysia was not divided - but united. That is why what is happening today is not just administrative failure.
It is a betrayal of memory. From national pride to personal platforms
Let us be honest - with ourselves, if not with each other
Today, too many sports bodies are no longer about sport. They are about position, power, and personal ambition.
Some see sport as a shortcut to political relevance - because nothing gathers crowds like football, cricket, or badminton.
Others enjoy the authority of office, the perks of travel, the titles, the influence - without the skills, vision, or humility required to actually develop sport.
And when failure comes, as it always does under such leadership, we are given silence, confusion, or excuses.
The recent debacle surrounding the Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) and the collapse of the Pro10 Malaysia cricket tournament is a case in point.
No one knows who approved what. No one knows how decisions were made. No one knows the extent of MCA’s involvement - or lack of it.
What we do know is; a national-level initiative failed publicly, and the response was opacity instead of accountability.
As observers like Citizen Nades and others have pointed out, the entire episode is clouded by a total lack of transparency. When questions are asked, clarity does not follow. When concerns are raised, defensiveness replaces openness.
That is not governance. That is damage control
And young athletes are watching. Costs of which were never calculated or even thought of.
When governance fails, administrators lose credibility. But. athletes lose years.
A sprinter loses the window of her peak, a footballer loses the confidence that his pathway is fair, a cricketer loses belief that merit matters more than politics.
And when belief is lost, talent quietly walks away.
Malaysia does not suffer from a lack of gifted youth. We suffer from systems that discourage integrity and reward proximity to power.
We keep asking, “Why aren’t we producing champions?”
But the better question is: Why would a young person trust a system that cannot even explain itself?
Sport and the idea of a “Singularly Plural” Malaysia
I have always believed that sport was Malaysia’s last great bastion of unity.
Before politics fractured us, before social media amplified our differences, before cynicism became fashionable.
On the field, we were Singularly Plural - many identities, one purpose.
A Malay boy cheered a Chinese shuttler. An Indian family celebrated a Malay striker. A Chinese crowd roared for an Indian goalkeeper.
No policy document ever achieved that….Sports did.
And that is why this matters so deeply.
When sport is corrupted, we don’t just lose medals - we lose one of the few remaining spaces where young Malaysians learn teamwork across difference, discipline without coercion, pride without exclusion.
If Malaysia is serious about reclaiming sport, we must reclaim values before victories.
Leadership in sport must once again be about:
• Service, not status
• Competence, not connections
• Transparency, not silence
• Listening, not entitlement
Sports associations must stop behaving like private clubs and start acting like public trusts. Because they do not belong to office bearers. They belong to athletes, parents, volunteers, fans - and the nation.
And if you are in a leadership position and cannot explain your decisions clearly, publish your accounts openly, or withstand scrutiny calmly—then you do not deserve that role.
Step aside. Let others serve. A future still worth fighting for. Despite everything, I remain hopeful.
Because I have seen what Malaysians can do when belief returns.
I have seen unity ignite excellence. I have seen young people rise when systems are fair and leadership is honest.
We do not need miracles. We need standards. We do not need slogans. We need structures.
And we do not need strongmen in sport. We need servant-leaders with backbone and humility.
If we restore trust, pride will follow. If we restore integrity, excellence will come.
And if we restore sport as a unifying force, Malaysia will once again find itself - not divided, but standing together.
Just as we once did, when the jersey meant everything. - February 1, 2026
Datuk Dr Vinod Sekhar is the publisher of the Vibes and Chairman of the Petra Group
