Not everything that the Sports Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin, touches turns to gold. His understanding of the many issues which have cropped-up during this South-East Asia (SEA) Games is pathetic. He spends more time making excuses, than finding solutions. His handling of the sales of tickets, for the football final, was disgraceful.
Angry scenes
The latest problems at the SEA Games were yesterday’s scenes of chaos, confusion and angry crowds at Shah Alam, when football fans, were unable to buy tickets for the final, tonight.
Despite camping at Shah Alam since 10 pm on Sunday night, few were able to purchase tickets. Some fans had traveled from as far as Kelantan. When ticket counters opened, there were long periods of suspension. Fans broke through the barriers attempting to get tickets. The Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) had to be summoned.
Why weren’t the ticket sales online?
Why indeed, Sports minister?
A competent minister would NOT have tweeted a succession of excuses justifying the reason for NOT selling the tickets online.
Following the ugly scenes at Shah Alam, Khairy posted on Twitter that “…the online payment gateway provider could not guarantee a stable process because of volume.”
Khairy’s response is pathetic! The online payment gateway provider knows the exact number of seats in the stadium.
An incompetent minister finds excuses. An able minister finds solutions.
If the Sports Minister, with all the resources and manpower at his disposable cannot resolve a problem, then who can?
Serious allegations which are not addressed
This is Malaysia, where many systems are open to abuse. Especially ticket sales.
Kabel ke atas: There are allegations that those who often receive tickets have a kabel ke atas (contacts to the top). Politicians and senior ranking state officials demand several hundred tickets for their own use.
Why should they be given free tickets , when the real sporting fans are denied a chance to show their support for their athletes or teams?
Ticket touts: The system of ticket sales, is also open to abuse, by someone who wishes make money on the side. Those who own several hundred “free” tickets, can then sell some of them for maximum profit.
If this practice is not curtailed, the sport, the fan and the athlete will suffer.
Why can’t the minister stamp out this abuse?
“Yes” man culture: In a meeting, staff dare not suggest ideas or contradict the boss. One can imagine the scenes in the boardroom, when people are afraid to say the wrong thing, for fear of being demoted, transferred or seen as controversial.
Is this what happened during brainstorming sessions? Instead of discussing possible problems that could be encountered in the SEA Games, and finding solutions, people in the organising committee were afraid to speak out.
Khairy’s arrogance
Khairy told Malaysians to rally behind the national athletes, especially the football team. He said, “We will get past 111 (medals). Now it is a question of how many golds we end up with and if we get the icing on the cake (with regard to) football.”
Khairy is wrong to dismiss the serious issues of the ticket sales fiasco and the other cock-ups that have plagued this games.
As a Sports minister of the host nation, he showed a complete lack of diplomacy and magnanimity.
It is NOT just about chasing Gold medals. The SEA Games is about sportsmanship, harmonious relations and fairness. Khairy’s arrogance is unbecoming. Typical of an Umno-Baru man.
Lack of vision:
Many Umno-Baru cyber-troopers will be confused. Can they get it right for once? No-one is complaining about the players.
On the other hand, there have been serious criticisms about the organisation of these Games. You need only speak to the many fans, who have been disappointed for one reason or another.
Khairy’s lack of vision is shocking. The Minister and his organising committee should have predicted the volume of “ticket sale” problem in the planning stages and found a solution for it.
Let this SEA Games be a lesson to Khairy, that he cannot multi-task and deceive us with excuses.
He cannot hold down a full-time job as a minister, oversee the year’s most important regional sporting event, and at the same time, pose on the polo field, post selfies and chase gold medals, just because he is part of the Malaysian polo team.
Does Khairy want to serve the rakyat, or chase glamour? Does he want to be a minister, or a polo player?
His pathetic response to last night’s ticket sale fiasco, exposed his incompetence.
Khairy’s new portfolio should be the Ministry for Excuses.
Will he grow-up?
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