It’s tough, but everyone must fight corruption

(Right) Norza says players caught in match-fixing will face the end of their careers.— Bernama

WHO would have expected at the beginning of the new year that two sports very close to the hearts of Malaysians would be rocked by match-fixing allegations?

Last week, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) made it known that they were investigating two Malaysian players, who are not part of the Badminton Association of Malaysia’s (BAM) stable, for alleged match-fixing. Both are believed to be independent players.

“Early reports from the ongoing BWF investigation is vague and very little is known to-date.

“The two under investigation are independent players and neither is with BAM,” said its deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Seri Azam Baki last week.

He said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) would also be investigating the case but their part would have to wait until the outcome of the BWF investigation.

It is believed that BWF are investigating the international player who has since been provisionally suspended from all competitions. The player in question has been under the watchful eye of the BWF since February last year.

The player, who represented Malaysia in the World Championships and the All-England in February 2017, is expected to be hauled up and will face a BWF investigation team in Singapore to answer the allegations of match fixing.

Tunku Ismail has made it clear that he will go all out to wipe out corruption.

Before the dust from this unsavoury episode could settle, local football was yet again shaken with another match-fixing allegation, this time involving two players from Sarawak.

Both the players, one aged 28 and the other 30, and a person believed to be a “bookie” were remanded for six days in a match-fixing probe after the state football team were defeated by Felcra FC on Feb 10.

The trio were detained by MACC officers and questioned on Feb 14.

The Football Association of Sarawak (FAS) immediately launched an internal investigation following the state’s loss to Felcra FC in a Premier League match at Stadium Negeri in Kuching.

FAS president Datuk Posa Majais had instructed team manager Wahab Abdul Rahim to head the investigation. In a statement issued on Feb 11, FAS said it had received reliable reports that some players were allegedly involved in match-fixing following the 3-2 defeat.

Local football players get paid anything between RM25,000 and RM60,000 (depending on their talent) a month, so it is quite shocking that despite their “fat” pay cheques, some players still stoop to despicable means to fatten their bank accounts.

This is just being greedy, pure and simple, and they do this knowing full well that if found out, they would bring only shame to the state they represent and to Malaysia.

Match-fixing in badminton, until recently, was unheard of but occasionally, we have heard through the grapevine about considerable sums of money changing hands after certain competition matches.

About 12 years ago, certain players were caught red-handed gambling in their respective rooms just before an international competition.

At the beginning of each football season, players of the various teams take an oath in the presence of MACC officials from their respective states to stay away from corruption. This, as we all know, is easier said than done. The oath-taking ceremony is just a show because if the players were serious about combating corruption, they would not have been caught and being involved in a shameful thing like match-fixing.

FAM president Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim is widely known to be in constant contact with the relevant authorities regarding match-fixing.

Even before Tunku Ismail took over the post of FAM president, his message had always been loud and clear – he will leave no stone unturned in his fight to eradicate corruption and this evil thing called “match-fixing”.

The battle to eradicate corruption and match-fixing is not a one-man crusade. It is imperative that all those involved in football, in whatever role at state and club level, must join forces with Tunku Ismail to fight this disease, failing which, it will continue to do endless and untold harm to the younger players in any sport. This is a fight that every Malaysian must get involved in, starting with the media.

Let us not forget the sad episode that nearly destroyed Malaysian football in 1994 when 21 players and coaches were sacked, 58 players suspended and 126 questioned over corruption involving match-fixing. As a result of this scandal, 78 footballers were handed life-time bans.

I can still remember the tragedy as I had just started my career with FAM. This sad episode saw the country lose some of its best talents, one generation of players were also lost to this disease.

Despite all this, corruption and match-fixing are still very much alive in spite of the efforts and measures taken to “kill” it. As the saying goes “willing buyer willing seller, just the name the price”, and that makes it all the more difficult to fight corruption.

Returning to badminton, BAM president Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria did not mince words when he came to know about what had happened with badminton.

“We are going to make sure that this cancer is stopped and eradicated. We don’t want any player to be involved in match-fixing because if they are caught, rest assured it will be the end of their careers.”

Players will always complain that their salaries are not paid on time, or that what they are paid is insufficient to sustain themselves and their families, but the reality is it is nothing but greed.

Often, we read in our local newspapers about corrupted officials and businessman being charged by authorities. Perhaps the Education Ministry could introduce a module on the evils and levels of corruption, the punishments and authorities involved in implementing the laws.

I am sure it will definitely help sports in general and the nation’s growth and development.

Christopher Raj is chief executive officer of a sports public relations agency. Chris’ Twitter account is @chrisraj23