Remembering Mazlan's five decades of legacy in sports
THE strategic thinker behind the Jaya '98 programme that accelerated Malaysia's medal-winning performance in multi-sports Games, is no more.
Datuk Wira Mazlan Ahmad, the National Sports Council (NSC)'s longest-serving director general, passed away two weeks ago, leaving a legacy that may be hard to surpass.
In the Jasin-born Mazlan, we mourn the loss of a true iconic sports leader who commanded respect from fellow sports officials, staff, sponsors and athletes for his work ethics and strategic thinking – a potent and rare combination.
Datuk Dina Rizal Abdullah, who spent more than three decades in the sports marketing and sponsorship world, said: 'When he became the NSC director-general, he wanted to work with us on the Malaysia Boleh campaign for the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games in 2001.
''I was inspired by his guidance as the Malaysia Boleh slogan became our national battle cry. I was lucky enough to spend time with him as one of his golfing partners, his way of escaping from the daily stress of work,' recalled Dina.
Former sports critic, Randhir Singh, said Malaysian sports had a good run under Mazlan's tenure.
'He was arguably the best NSC director-general we ever had. He was open to ideas, passionate about sports and deeply knowledgeable. He had a good team to support him that included the likes of the late Datuk Ho Koh Chye, M.P. Haridas, Lim Ah Soh and Zaki Abdul Rahman.
A hallmark of his leadership was his ability to groom a long list of good officers who later occupied the top post, including the late Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong, Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail, Abdul Rashid Yaakub and the present director-general, Jefri Ngadirin,' said Randhir.
For cycling legend, Datuk Ng Joo Ngan, Mazlan was irreplaceable.
'Mazlan was a straightforward official, honest, dedicated and visionary ever since I knew him since his days as the assistant secretary at the Selangor Cycling Association.
'In the 1980s, he persuaded me to open a bicycle shop. While Daud Abu Kassim (former Kuala Lumpur Cycling Association (KLCA) deputy president) got me a shop lot in Pertama Complex, Mazlan gave me RM4,000, a huge amount those days, as the deposit for rental,' said Joo Ngan.
Mazlan's background as a voluntary sports official enabled him to see life from both sides of the fence, having served in various capacities in the cycling fraternity from 1972 before he was transferred to NSC from the Public Works Department in 1983.
At JKR, Mazlan gave champion cyclist, the late Ali Hassan, and the late decathlete Hanapiah Nasir a job. In his role as the vice-president of the KLCA, he made sure a big group of cyclists were employed by the City Hall.
Once their welfare was taken care of, the cyclists were able to stamp their mark on the sporting field.
Mazlan survived elections, rising from the post of assistant secretary to secretary of the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) before being elected as a vice-president. So he understood the politics and pitfalls of a sports association.
As the NSC deputy director-general, acting director-general before being made a full-fledged director general in 1993, he worked closely with the National Sports Associations until his retirement in 2005. Since he knew the tricks of the trade, Mazlan did not suffer fools gladly.
Some of the Cabinet papers that he presented and later rubber-stamped by the powers-that-be included the establishment of centres for less popular sports such as diving, weightlifting, shooting and lawn bowls, a legacy that continues to produce the goods.
He also initiated the junior development for tenpin bowling so that we would stop relying on grandmothers, a move that has produced world champions. Mazlan also shifted the focus from road race to track cycling, a step that has produced Datuk Azizulhasni Awang and Co.
Mazlan served nine Sports Ministers and enjoyed a great relationship with all except one.
Under the series Siri Tokoh Malaysia (Malaysia's Eminent Figures), a documentation of several high-profile leaders in various fields, Mazlan was considered as one of the country's top managers in the civil service, being mentioned in the same breath as Tan Sri Abdul Jamil Rais, Tan Sri Arshad Ayub, Tan Sri Hashim Aman, Tan Sri Ishak Tadin, Raja Tan Sri Muhammad Alias and Tan Sri Zain Azraai Zainal Abidin.
As Mazlan's body was laid to his final resting place at the Kota Damansara cemetery, Datuk Razif Sidek, Nor Saiful Zaini Nasiruddin and Nor Azlan Bakar were among a group of former athletes bidding farewell to an illustrious sports leader who created a significant benchmark at every milestone.
Condolences to Datin Junaidah Md Som, Najwa and Saiful Ezane. May Allah the Almighty grant Mazlan's soul an eternal bliss in the highest ranks of paradise.
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