The cockroaches in Malaysian sports

New Straits Times

a day ago

WHAT'S your earliest memory? Mine involves a cockroach, bold as brass, darting across the kitchen floor. I remember the horror, the helplessness, the way it vanished just when I thought I had it cornered.
Years later, I find that same feeling creeping back whenever I watch the AGM of another national sports association.
The same faces, the same names. Different year, same result. Like roaches, these figures always return.
Now, let me be clear. I'm speaking metaphorically. But the parallels are hard to ignore.
Cockroaches are survivors. They hide, they adapt, and when the coast is clear, they re-emerge, often stronger, always harder to remove.
In Malaysian sports, we've got a similar problem.
They're the long-serving officials who may have once had noble intentions but now seem far more invested in holding on to power than pushing the sport forward. Even when they're voted out or claim to step aside, they rarely leave the ecosystem.
They linger behind the scenes, take advisory roles, or pull strings quietly, waiting for the right moment to reinsert themselves. And reinsertion is almost guaranteed. Because in our sporting structure, there are few real safeguards. Rarely having term limits, no enforced succession planning.
Just endless recycling of the same personalities, many of whom have presided over stagnation, if not outright decline. They thrive in opacity.
Where there is little transparency or accountability, these officials flourish.
AGMs become battlegrounds not of ideas or progress, but of allegiances, whisper campaigns, and loyal vote banks.
The focus shifts from nurturing athletes to protecting egos. They love the titles — president, deputy president, technical chairman.
With the right badge and blazer, doors open, perks roll in, and media attention follows.
Some haven't laced up a pair of trainers in decades, but you'll spot them at every major tournament, front and centre in team photos, grinning like winners.
They chase the limelight, but not the workload. They want the influence, not the inconvenience.
To be fair, not every official fits this description. There are dedicated individuals in the system — passionate, honest people who genuinely want to elevate our sports.
But far too often, they're drowned out by the noise. The entrenched power players dominate the narrative, and reform-minded voices are pushed to the fringes.
And when things go wrong, when medal hauls shrink, when athletes quit, when juniors vanish from the scene — accountability is scarce.
There's always a convenient excuse: lack of funding, bad luck, we provided everything, or underperforming athletes.
But rarely do we hear, "We failed to lead."
We've seen associations spiral into dysfunction because of internal feuds and mismanagement. Coaches sidelined, programmes derailed. Talented athletes caught in a tangle of red tape and unclear selection policies.
It's a story that repeats itself, sport after sport.
All the while, the public is asked to rally behind teams, wave the flag, and clap politely.
But beneath the surface, the foundations are shaky, weakened not by athletes, but by the very people meant to support them.
At some point, we need to ask: why do we keep tolerating this? Just as you wouldn't ignore pests in your home, we can't afford to turn a blind eye to the pests in our sporting bodies.
Because every year we delay reform, we risk losing another athlete to burnout, another coach to disillusionment, and another generation to mediocrity.
This isn't about starting a witch hunt, it's about raising standards. It's about recognising that modern sports need professionals, not personalities.
It needs structure, not sycophants. We need real reform: term limits, transparent elections, independent oversight.
We need to create a culture where new ideas are welcomed, not viewed as threats.
And most of all, we need the courage to say "thank you" to long-time officials and actually mean it as a farewell.
Because here's the truth: cockroaches survive because the environment allows them to. They don't need light. In fact, they prefer the dark. They wait, and they persist.
But sports?
Sports thrive in the light. It thrives when we clean up, open doors, and let those who care, truly care, take the lead.
It's time Malaysian sports had that deep clean. Our athletes and our future deserve nothing less.