Mr OCM speaks his mind
DATUK Sieh Kok Chi’s greying hair and wrinkled face say it all. Age has certainly caught up with him but the good news is that he has not lost his fervour and passion to keep Malaysian sports abreast of the times. The 74-year-old veteran administrator is
Q: What has kept you going all these years?
A: My transition from an athlete to administrator and then honorary secretary of OCM was, to me, a natural process. I kept going because what I’m doing is very challenging, satisfying, fulfilling and beneficial to sport and the athletes. As a volunteer, I’m totally independent but, at the same time, I have heavy responsibilities. Since I have a vision on what OCM should be, I have set myself targets to fulfill.
Q: What has been your most significant contribution?
A: It has to be my promotion of the concept that OCM are a “Games” organisation and not a “Sport” organisation. Our properties are the Olympic, Asian, Commonwealth and SEA Games and all the National Sports Associations (NSAs) become members of OCM because of their desire to participate in them.
Although I’m the elected honorary secretary of OCM, I’m basically a volunteer worker who has been clocking in at least eight hours a day for six to seven days a week, for the last 20 years. I don’t have much power nor do I need any power because my work is sufficient to justify my role in OCM.
Q: In what way have you changed as a person through all these experiences?
A: Through sports, I have had the opportunity to closely associate and be involved with all sorts of people. I got to know the best and the worse of them. I have a better understanding of people and their character, which enabled me to understand them better and relate to them more effectively.
I made many friends all over the world, who, like me, are trying their best to do a good job against many similar challenges.
I have also learnt that to be an effective and efficient sports official, one cannot hold too many posts. Some sports officials hold 10 or more posts and they can’t do much because time is against them. I decided long ago to concentrate only on OCM. Of course, it is glamorous and beneficial to hold many international posts and be jetting all over the world, sometimes with attractive per diems as well.
Q: What challenges have you faced and why?
A: Due to my years of experience, I have first-hand and in-depth knowledge of the sports environment in Malaysia in general and of OCM in particular. I would like to highlight three main challenges;
Firstly, on funding. I remember the days when OCM were very poor and my predecessor Thong Poh Nyen was always worried whether he had enough to pay the salaries of the four staff members. We now have 16 staff.
I have learnt that OCM must be thrifty to carry out their basic responsibilities without having to face uncertainties. Fortunately, OCM have managed to have some surplus funds to undertake their operations without having to beg. The amount is, however, still insufficient and OCM have to depend on government grants to participate in the various Games. We have to raise more funds to be self-reliant.
Secondly, OCM’s relationship with the government. OCM, in general, and I, in particular, try our best to maintain and strengthen good relationship with the government because we are partners. While our objectives are the same, our approach and style are different because one of the fundamental roles and missions of a National Olympic Committee (NOC) is to preserve its autonomy and resist all pressures of any kind — be it political, legal, religious or economic. As such, we often agree to disagree.
Thirdly, the shortage of dedicated volunteer sports leaders. There are fewer volunteers, especially the younger ones, coming forward to stand for elections as office bearers at all levels. From my experience, there are four types of volunteers in sports. The first are those with ideas and passion and always propose and implement viable and good programmes. The second are those with not so much ideas or creativity, but still are passionate. The third are those who holds posts for the sake of holding posts and will always criticise any programme and do nothing to implement them. The fourth are those who propose nothing, say nothing and do nothing. It is the first type of sports leaders we are lacking very much today.
Q: Do you have any suggestion to improve Malaysian sport?
A: OCM have not really initiated or implemented any new ideas or concepts on the issue of funding. OCM are sitting on a property worth over RM50 million. With the MRT station being constructed in front of Wisma OCM, its value will increase. What are we doing about it? Nothing!
I have suggested that OCM take a loan of RM25 million and invest the money in 10 shop houses and assign them to 10 NSAs. The NSAs can then rent out the shop lots and pay the OCM. Unfortunately, OCM are just not interested.
Sadly, the OCM executive board is just interested in petty matters, such as where and when the delegates are to attend meetings; where to get the Olympic Games tickets and souvenir watches; and OCM having their annual dinner at a 5-star hotel and not Wisma OCM.
We should be good in follow-up work as well. Usually, after OCM have submitted the proposals and have had a meeting with the Youth and Sports Minister, we all come out feeling very good and happy. But six months later, everything is forgotten because nothing has moved even an inch. Q: Any last thoughts Datuk? A: Recently, there was a massive cut — by 80% — in Greece’s sports allocation. Only salaries for staff at the Ministry of Sport and Hellenic Olympic Committe (HOC) were preserved. I’m worried that if sport becomes over dependent on salaried staff and not on volunteers, a similar situation could occur in Malaysia should there be an economic downturn in the future.
This is the reason why OCM and the NSAs have to change and identify new and more innovative ways of raising funds.
OCM and the NSAs need more and better quality volunteer sports officials. Those who are prepared to contribute their time and their brains for the development of sports. We don’t require sports officials with big egos who don’t have any ideas or vision for the future.