Farewell Mazlan Ahmad, true sports leader who was tough, fair, and unforgettable
'Troublemaker sudah sampai.' (The troublemaker has arrived).
That was how the late Datuk Wira Mazlan Ahmad once greeted me when I attended one of his press conferences over 20 years ago.
Mazlan was then the director-general of the National Sports Council (NSC), and I was working with one of the English dailies. But far from being vindictive or angry, Mazlan chided me with a wry smile.
Although I didn't do the 'NSC beat', I had many disagreements with Mazlan about how the government agency handled hockey. He took offence at several articles, especially those concerning NSC and Malaysian Hockey Federation (now Malaysian Hockey Confederation).
But despite his displeasure, Mazlan never held a grudge. Sure, there were times he would call to lambast me for the reports, but we were back to friendly terms the next time we met. We were the best of 'frenemies'.
Unlike modern-day officials who are hati tisu (overly sensitive), or have big egos and no qualms about threatening legal action if they don't like an article – or even kicking reporters out of WhatsApp groups – Mazlan respected and understood what journalists did.
He could dish it out and take it on the chin if the criticisms were warranted.
The news that Mazlan passed away yesterday, aged 76, hit hard. It has been years since we last spoke, and I regret not going to see him.
Malaysian sports has lost a leading light – someone who led from the front and was instrumental in reshaping how we approached sports.
He joined NSC in 1983 and was its fifth director-general, serving from 1993 to 2005. He was one of those who developed the successful Jaya '98 programme to prepare national athletes for the 1998 Commonwealth Games.
The five-year programme saw Malaysia win 10 gold medals at the 1998 Games. Jaya '98 was the precursor to other programmes like the Road to London, Road to Rio and now Road to Gold, aimed at winning gold medals at Olympic Games and other multisport games.
Jaya '98 was by far the most successful elite sports programme Malaysia has ever seen, as its spillover effect remains evident today.
Mazlan was laid to rest this morning at Tanah Perkuburan Islam, Section 9, Kota Damansara, Selangor.
Goodbye, dear sir. May you rest in peace.
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