Heart and Soul: Coach Guna – The untold story of a kampung hero


Guna (sixth from left) with his close friends at his 60th birthday celebration. Thomas Samuel (far left) is the former Honorary Secretary of Flames FC, and next to him is Malaysian football legend in the 1960s and 70s, Datuk N. Thanabalan. Datuk P. Kamalanathan (fifth from right) is former Deputy Education Minister.

Heroism is more often associated with people who put others first, even at their own peril. Their actions are not selfish and often in the interest of others, be it an individual, a community or even a nation.

In recent times, I have personally lost many of my "heroes" who have passed on too soon with so much knowledge, wisdom and experiences still to share. I will greatly miss doyens of the media fraternity and legends in their own right, like Datuk Ahmad Talib, Datuk Wong Sai Wan and Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing who were illustrious sons of this soil. They were all eminent personalities, and tributes to them are still coming in. They all deserve every bit of the recognition.

Save 30% OFF The Star Digital Access

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

RM 9.73/month

Billed as RM 9.73 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter.

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 8.63/month

Billed as RM 103.60 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In People

Frank Gehry, master architect with a flair for drama, dies at 96
Teen saving India's ponds 'one pond at a time' says everyone can be a leader
'This could have been me': British-Somali boxer pays it forward at refugee camp
Running for a reason: He ran 1770km through 169 towns to help sick children
Miss Universe Malaysia 2025 Chloe Lim is driven by a sense of purpose at upcoming global competition
This Malaysian wildlife biologist uses conservation genetics to protect nature
How this Malaysian researcher is preventing extinction, one tiger at a time
Award-winning Malaysian scientist turns natural resources and waste into energy
Stuttering doesn’t define him, it's just a part of who he is
Richard Quest on the evolution of storytelling in a digital age

Others Also Read