MALAYSIA: PACM "Don't treat clubs as rivals"

By S. Selvam
April 22:

IF State associations keep viewing clubs as 'rivals', Pacesetters Athletics Club Malaysia (PACM) president Munning Jamaludin believes there will always be obstacles in giving clubs voting rights in national associations.
Munning welcomes the proposal by Malaysian AAU (MAAU) deputy president, First Admiral Datuk Danyal Balagopal to consider a national association of clubs as an affiliate, but PACM will only believe it when the amendments are made.

With some 1,200 members, PACM have emerged as one of the most active athletics club in the country.

And while other sports bodies only talk about limiting the term of office bearers, PACM have amended their constitution which allows a president to seek re-election for five consecutive years only.

"We appreciate MAAU's gesture in recognising the contribution of clubs and the proposal to make an association of clubs as an affiliate," said Munning.

"But I believe it is still at the early stages. We have been invited to discuss the matter further and we will definitely do that.

"However, whether the proposal becomes a reality or not, we just have to wait and see."

On Wednesday, Balagopal proposed that clubs consider forming a Malaysian Association of Athletics Clubs in order to be affiliated directly with MAAU.

The call was also in line with Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja'afar's statement that a national association comprising clubs could be a possible solution to the Malaysian Taekwondo Association (MTA) versus Sports Commissioner's office tussle to give clubs direct affiliation with voting rights.

In fact, Elyas even presented MTA with five models of governance, all of which gives clubs voting rights.

Understandably, the models have caused some concern in the MTA as Elyas' proposal gives clubs, subject to fulfilling several crietria, the same number of votes as State bodies.

"As long as they (State associations) view us as competitors, I believe they would resist the amendments," added Munning.

"But we are not here to compete against anybody. We are here to work with the relevant bodies to develop the sport."

Source from http://www.nst.com.my