Visibility for today’s stars, invisibility for yesterday’s greats
Hannah Yeoh was radiant at KLIA last week, leading the heroes’ welcome for Malaysia’s new badminton world champions.
Cameras flashed, soundbites flowed, and the minister for youth and sports basked in the nation’s joy.
Days later, the ministry finally addressed a dark truth: the sportsman and sportswoman of the year from 1966 to 1982 never received their promised RM5,000 cash prizes.
The statement sounded serious. It pledged to help find a solution. But read closely, it was more about passing the ball than taking charge.
The ministry praised the Malaysian National Cycling Federation for repaying Ng Joo Ngan and welcomed Malaysia Athletics’ task force.
That is not leadership. That is outsourcing responsibility.
Whose awards were these?
These were national awards, instituted on the advice of Tunku Abdul Rahman. They carried the government’s seal, the prestige of the state, and the recognition of the nation.
Between 1966 and 1982, the awards went to champions across…
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