Hack & Slash the Football Bookies... and Scumbags

(PIX: From the New Straits Times)


What a sweet feeling this is; that Malaysia are CHAMPIONS!


But while we savour this moment - with the Prime Minister having also declared Friday 31 December as a national public holiday - excuse me for seeming like a killjoy for mentioning this. No, this isn't done to dilute the joy that true Malaysians are feeling - only a dastardly anti-national would do something like this.

However, let this be mentioned now while we are united and focused on this matter of ensuring continued success for the national team after decades of being in the doldrums - those very few and rare successes notwithstanding. BEWARE: The football bookies will be back!

And there will be players and officials who will sell their souls, their team and their supporters for a fistful of ringgit. It has happened before, and it's likely that it will happen again... unless we slash them immediately the moment they pop up.

Remember those harrowing days in the mid-90s when player after player - including household names - were detained for their collusion with bookies and for match-fixing. It was also one of the main reasons why Malaysian football had declined. Do we want this to happen again?

Here's why the bookies will likely resurface: ironically, it will be because of the national team's latest success. Right now there is renewed interest among the public in football - there is now a much better appetite to follow the sport at all levels in the country. Next season, there will be more zest for the national league and Malaysia Cup. Each state will put in more effort to gain glory, and we the fans, will follow the matches even more closely.

And this vastly increased interest will also result in more punters putting down money - LOTS of it - betting on this and that. Betting, in itself, doesn't directly affect those involved - the players and the other non-betting fans.

However, with so much money floating around, there will be people who will use every means to get their hands on as much of that as possible. They will look for ways to fix results to their advantage. And the best way is to get a few key players to do their bidding... for a share of the loot, of course. Then the cancer will spread, with more players wanting some of the action too, and soon enough we'll be back to the bad old days.

So here's a reminder to those involved, while we celebrate this return to where we should be: Be quick and decisive when this malaise rears its head again. No more of the denials of 15 years ago. No more of wanting to protect players or officials. No more talk and endless warnings and threats "to take stern action": when the bookies and corrupted players and officials resurface, shoot them out of the water IMMEDIATELY!

Okay, let's go back to savouring and enjoying this moment... of again having a national football team that we can be proud of; that can make us HOPE and DREAM. SALUTE TO MALAYSIA!

Glory Days Again for Malaysian Football

What if Indonesia beat Malaysia 4-0 - or more - in the second leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup?

Malaysia may have a comfortable three-goal advantage from the first leg but it's definitely not impossible for Indonesia to claw back from the dead and overturn the tables. And this is precisely why coach K. Rajagobal is preaching caution - it's not over until the fat lady sings. ("What has Datin Rosmah to do with all this??")

I believe over-confidence won't be a problem with Malaysia. However, they'll have to contend with a wounded tiger that now has nothing to lose. And a hostile crowd that is bound to be abusive... fanatical supporters who place the blame for the 3-0 defeat on the laser beam morons. (Would the result be different had there not been this incident?)

But despite the expected pressure and onslaught, I feel Malaysia will come out tops. That's because this team has one very crucial characteristic: they know how to defend. It's something they have proven during the second leg of the semi-final against Vietnam - after getting a 2-0 lead at the Bukit Jalil Stadium, they held on in the return leg. And one of the reasons for that is the presence of a very reliable goalkeeper in Khairul Fahmi Che Mat, plus defenders who don't give much space to the oppositions' attackers.

Anyway, whatever the result in Jakarta, one thing is obvious - this is the best Malaysian football team in years... probably in a few decades. I'd say the last time we had a team to be proud of was the one that qualified for the Moscow Olympics in 1980. (Click below to watch the winning goal against South Korea in the qualifications final in 1979)
 
That was when we had Hasan Sani, James Wong and Zainal Abidin (who had started out as a defender). After that 1979 team, there were just disappointments for Malaysia.

It's a great time for us all. Having this team has been a great morale booster for Malaysians and we hope the players will continue to bring glory to us all. It feels so good to be a Malaysian!