Trouble in Fencing

A plea from Siti Zahrah, President of Malaysian Fencing Federation to the President of Olympic Council of Malaysia, Tunku Imran Tuanku Jaafar.

I am not sure who else I should make a plea to not marginalize my sport of fencing in Malaysia. I know you do not wish to know the politics behind the Malaysian Fencing Federation but this is what is happening on my side of the fence. 

I am writing as an athlete, a manager, a coach, an NOA /IOA graduate from Olympia and a committee member of the association.As this opportunity was not given to me nor was it given of the affiliate that is being penalized by your decision.

I beg of you to at least read this letter of which it is coming from the bottom of my heart and my passion for sport.

REASON WHY I SAY MAKING MOIRA AND RICKY AS THE MIDDLE PERSON BIAS AND NOT IN THE OLYMPIC SPIRIT:

1) We were not consulted to to the reason why Moira and Ricky was chosen. There was no letter explaining from OCM to why the Malaysian Fencing Federation was under investigation in the first place.

2) We were not given the report of the investigation to reply back to any query or dispute that OCM has with the Malaysian Fencing Federation. No meeting for mediation were called by OCM.

3) Miss Moira  during the term she was elected as Assistant Sec. General for 2009 -2011 from 22 Dec 2009 has never been fair to all affiliate of Malaysian Fencing Federation.

- Miss Moira is the Assistance Sec. General of OCM. She has informed the Malaysian  Sport Commission approved MFF Sec. General that she only report to Encik Farik and Mr Gokulavanan the previous term's President and Sec. General.

- Miss Moira has also fail as her duty to be fair in that when she has information from the FIE it was never passed to all affiliate of the Malaysian Fencing Federation which include her own state , she being the Sec. General of the Perlis State Affiliate.

Miss Moira has failed to informed of the president of the selection championship in Singapore Jan 2010, Asian Fencing junior and cadet in Philippines March 2010  and the World junior  and cadet fencing Championship in Baku April 2010. As she as informed you she only reports to Encik Farik and she has been in contact with Majlis Sukan Negara regarding the competition above. Yet she has failed to inform the president of Perlis her own affiliate with regards to the competition.

Perlis State has a fencer that would potentially be able to qualify for the World Youth Olympic Games in Singapore 2010 Miss Athia whom have climbed the rank of the Asian Junior and Cadet Competition to Rank 5th at the Singapore Asian Junior and Cadet Championship in 2009.

The parents understand that there is no women team under the MSN program (which was shutdown by Encik Farik) but in the past years they have always gone on their own budget and this time was not different. They would have sent their child had Moira informed and not boycott her own athlete.

IS THIS THE SPIRIT OF OLYMPIC THAT EXIST AT OLYMPIC COUNCIL MALAYSIA. It is a very sad day for Malaysian Sport. 

4) Mr Ricky Loo  during the term she was elected as the Vice President  for 2009 -2011 from 22 Dec 2009 has never been fair to all affiliate of Malaysian Fencing Federation. 

- Did not informed all affiliate of the invitation to the event, conducted a selection from all state or register highly qualified fencers for the Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championship 2010. The team that was taken to were MSN program athlete and athlete from SABAH that have never entered the Malaysian ranking for 2009 as seen from the attachment of the ranking for 2009. Since our first competition of 2010 is the Junior Circuit 1 in Muar, Johor (Not attended by Melaka).

- Mr Ricky also have not fairly updated it's affiliate on the SUKMA technical and regulations. 

Please don't be cruel to fencers whom are just fencing for the love of the sport. Please please please don't be the catalyst to the demise of fencing in Malaysia.

The reason why we do not want Encik Farik to be president of the Malaysian Fencing Federation  are

1)      He is running the federation like a family business. Where official meetings by international federations were attended my family members of the Encik Farik and not any of the committee of the federation.

As seen from the attachment of the Commonwealth Meeting Attendance where never at any term is Puan Rusni (Encik Farik's Wife) nor Miss Ainaa Farik (Encik Farik's daugther) a Member of the Exec. Committee of the Malaysian Fencing Federation.  It can also be seen at the FIE website where Miss Ainaa Farik whom have never ran for Exec Comm of MFF is now the Sec. General of Malaysian Fencing Federation. She will also be representing Malaysia at the Coming General Assembly in Baku, Azerbaijan.  

2)      The development  of phamtom state association just for political milage and voting rights for example : 

a.       Pahang has yet to develop fencing in the state while the association have been approved since 2007. The state have yet to sent any fencers to any competition in and out of malaysia.According to the accounts of Malaysian Fencing Federation of 2008 they did not pay any affiliate fee. No fencers in SUKMA 2008 and no fencers in the 2009 ranking.

b.      Sarawak was develop by the State Sport Council and the State Goverment in 2002 but after the aprroval of the Sarawak Fencing  Association in 2008 the fencing program  have been because they have yet to be able to contact the Sarawak Fencing Association to come for a meeting to discuss the fencing program in Sarawak. As OCM should be aware once an association have been establish in sarawak the state grant for the sport goes to the sport association not the State Sport Council. In Mac 2009 the State Sport Council have to drop the sport of fencing from its program even though they had a coach and fencing program in Sematan and Kuching. No fencers in the 2009 ranking

c.       Kedah , Encik Farik owns state have yet to develop fencing in the state and since SUKMA kedah 2004 the state’s athlete has decline from a over 24 fencers to 0. This can been seen through records by the number of fencers representing the state for Malaysian Local competition.No fencers in the 2009 ranking.

3)      The depletion of fencing development program in Malaysia with the closing of programs below

a.       Women Foil

b.      Women Epee  

c.       Women Saber

4)      The reduction of local competition in Malaysia down to 3 Grandprix , 1 National Junior and Malaysian Open (which was canceled last year due to H1N1) . Where previously MFF use to host 4 Grandprix, 3 Junior Cuircuit, Malaysia Cup (Open) and Malaysian Open. It is sad to see the decrease of the opportunity to participate in competitions even at local level.

5) Wanting to shutdown running affiliate in reference to the Federal Territory Fencing Association. Which is should be done in a proper way of asking Kuala Lumpur to set up a new association and not shutting down a running association with hundreds of members.

6) Mis-use of power and facilities by the Putrajaya Fencing Association in getting the National Coach to train their state athlete when the coach is being paid by MSN focus on the MSN program. The coach should focus on athlete under MSN program not force to accept athlete given by the President's Wife association. 

Though I do not  doubt the money that have been spent by Encik Farik himself but we have had previous presidents providing the same sacrifice. We do hope it has nothing to do with personal vengeance or spite from Encik Farik’s side.

   

I beg of of you to inform you that the state that are penalized are the state with athlete and have shown full support to MFFs programs but when our athlete  are being penalized a line have to be drawn. I do hope you understand.

I thank you for hearing my plea. Please see the federation through my eyes and the athlete eyes. There is more prove to shine on the mis-conduct of the State of Perak Fencing Association (currently the athlete are left hanging and please help them , their old coach was forced out with a 50% pay cut, housing allowances cut and no support from the state association for the coaches fencing program.)

There is more plea from the parents is just too much for me to bear and hope this e-mail will open a door for you to at least hear from them. Please hear from the athletes, from the coaches and from the parents supporting the sport.

Elected President of Malaysian Fencing Federation (non proxy)

Siti Zaharah bt Abdul Khalid