Congrats to Lee Chong Wei as Olympics badminton silver medalist.
I watched his finals match with Lin Dan and was rooting for him to win the first Olympics gold for Malaysia, but it was not to be.
He visited Parliament yesterday and would be honoured in a special ceremony in Penang tonight where he would be presented with a cheque for RM300,000 and a monthly pension of RM3,000.
Chong Wei is a national hero for all Malaysians.
It will be great pity if this national status is diminished by making him a “fodder” in the Permatang Pauh by-election – as indicated by the New Straits Times Dewan Dispatches article “Lee Chong Wei becomes Permatang Pauh fodder”.
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#1 by lew1328 on Wednesday, 20 August 2008 - 11:17 pm
Greetings!
The issued here is not a matter of “fodder” or the “datuk” ship being created. It is regards to our sport education system in the whole.
It was treated like just their personal (As a couch and sportsmen) failure issues but not signed of “Failed the country” when they failed to collect the gold medal.
Personally, I don’t feel comfortable that the sportsman become the political machine here in Malaysia.
#2 by shortie kiasu on Wednesday, 20 August 2008 - 11:19 pm
It is the same scenario when the double pair of Koo-Tan won the Asian Games double gold. They were also BN fodder in the election.
#3 by limkamput on Wednesday, 20 August 2008 - 11:24 pm
You know what. I think Malaysia is so lacking in success for any damn thing in recent time. A silver medal and all politicians are fighting and struggling to share some limelight. Pathetic, pathetic.
#4 by limkamput on Wednesday, 20 August 2008 - 11:28 pm
Sport is a profession now, like many other occupations. So what is so great? It is their job.
#5 by boilingmad on Wednesday, 20 August 2008 - 11:33 pm
Chong Wei has done very well & he deserves the medal for his own glory.
But I think he will be in a difficult situation. The Datuk-ship is awarded for his winning an Olympic silver but will politicians use it for political mileage?
If he is ‘forced’ to champion for BN, would he gain the respect from opposition supporters? If he doesn’t, will the Datuk-ship be withdrawn?
When the time comes, will he champion for what is right or will he do the bidding of BN out of obligation? I think it is going to be a tough decision for him.
#6 by chin on Wednesday, 20 August 2008 - 11:34 pm
License for scrap metal collection for Indians ! Thats insulting ! Its like vote for me, you will get peanuts. My Indian friends, do you know that they take you as primates ?
Stop this kind of lures, the scenario need to CHANGE !
#7 by chin on Wednesday, 20 August 2008 - 11:48 pm
If the BN can pay LCW to be PP for the by election. Let LCW decide this. Marketing point of view, its publicity to show LCW’s medal to the public. But how about showing Saiful around, sounds great ! But this young man got no medals to show around except his nice rounded butt. I guess lots of women will be very exciting for this event, sounds nice ? Ladies ?
#8 by monsterball on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 1:46 am
Then those first batch or Badminton players…who brought glory to Malaysia….by winning the Thomas Cup……over and over again…none were being cared for…until recently.
Granted there were no Indonesia or China…but there was Morgan Freeman of USA…the best Badminton player of all timers..and Britain keep winning the cup…with Denmark.
It was no easy fears to win.
What happen?…. so many died as paupers.
They will decorated any UMNO member for the slightest reason..and none for those badminton heroes…….for a long longtime.
Why now? Have UMNO changed for the better?
I say no…. as long as UMNO plays race and religion politics…all their so call love for other races…..are acting and side shows. They are happy….you are lucky. They will reward you. That’s their attitudes..as if our country is owned by them.
#9 by aquaimplotec on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 2:32 am
If it was a gold medal it would have been a public holiday, Yes?
#10 by trublumsian on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 4:03 am
rewarding chong wei should stop at the money. he is now the revered sportman everyone knows. the endorsement deals will come. but leave the datukship to people who sacrifice for the country, and those who bribe. and r we saying the many other athletes who didn’t win a medal don’t mean a thing? we’re a country of 24 million, how pathetic are we one silver medal sends us to nirvana. n i like the comment about an indian and a chinese 3rd class citizens being the top sports persons in malaysia. another fine example of the minority bringing home the majority bacon. looks like nep will be extended another century so the lazy Ss can catch up.
#11 by ktteokt on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 9:06 am
Tulip Crescent, not only what you said but “Datokship” can be “given” and “withdrawn” and “regiven” at will of the heads of State. Remember the classic case of Lee Kim Sai who had his “datukship” retracted???
#12 by k1980 on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 9:31 am
If a university dropout with a GPA score of 1.08 can get a govt scholarship (thanks to his toilet plunger), then LCW needs to be given a tunship (thanks to his badminton racket)
#13 by cina on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 9:35 am
Datuk Lee Chong Wei is more qualified to be conferred for the datukship than the stupid angkasawan….
#14 by boh-liao on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 10:01 am
“It is the same scenario when the double pair of Koo-Tan won the Asian Games double gold. They were also BN fodder in the election.”
True, true, and after having been exhibited as prized animals by their political masters, Koo-Tan went downhill into oblivion. Will LCW suffer the same fate, after being manipulated by the cursed hands of Umno?
#15 by Cinapek on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 10:07 am
boh-liao said:
“He is now looking for another PhD awarding university!!”
I read somewhere that one of our local universities (not OUM) has recently dished out a pHD to a top UMNO politician? Maybe our good friend and PP MP wannabe can try this U?
#16 by boh-liao on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 10:37 am
Dear Tulip Crescent – Do be careful! When in Malaysia, do as Malaysians do. And the culture here is blind ampu or bodek. Shiok u, shiok me. Everyone happy, happy.
You know, our BN politicians, civil servants, VCs, and academics love long titles or tails at the front and back of their names.
Once upon a time, we had Kaptain Datuk Prof. Dr. Hashim Yaakob or Bill Board Kaptain Datuk Prof. Dr. Hashim Yaakob (UM) and now we have Lt. Kol. Prof. Datuk Dr. Kamaruzaman Hj. Ampon (UMS) and Dato’ Seri Prof. Dr. Ibrahim bin Abu Shah, PJN, SPSK, DCSM, DPMK, DPMS, PGBK, DMSM, JBK, DNS, PBS, BCM (UiTM).
#17 by boh-liao on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 10:49 am
Do we realise that in Malaysia the favourite past time is to dig through the arrays of head and tail of a person’s name (especially the so-called VIPs) in order to get at the person’s actual given name?
A tiring past time indeed, so much so that after having got hold of someone’s name, we have to take some time off to recover. So, relax lah. That’s our culture.
Also, in all official functions, the MC invariably spent 10 to 15 minutes to address all the so-called VIPs there, like saying Yang Mulia …….., Yang Amat Berhormat …….., Yang Berhormat …….., Yang Berbohong ………. etc. An exercise that wastes lots and lots of manhours!
No wonder, AAB always ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz …….
#18 by Godfather on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 12:02 pm
I read a very good comment in Mamakthir’s blog. The mamak was lamenting about corruption in UMNO. One commenter said that it wasn’t “corruption”. It was simply “dedication” or “dedikasi” in UMNO language.
Dedikasi = Daddy Kasi.
#19 by chuchueey on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 12:36 pm
Pls go to: http://themalaysianinsider.com/ and you will see a picture of Chong Wei being politically exploited. He is seen sitting on stage while Ariff Shah is seemingly telling the whole of Malaysia here is an example of a non-Malay given fairness and justice. What an utter lot of ballshit. This boy is a product of competition, not spoon feeding and subsidy.
Dear Chong Wei, we admire and adore you for your fighting spirits, but pls dun become a stooge and fodder for racist UMNO. You won the silver medal for MALAYSIA and ALL MALAYSIANS – and certainly NOT for this race-based party. All
#20 by Adolf_Napoleon on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 2:55 pm
BN will use all means to win Permatang Pauh, not to mentioned the Election Commission’s “power” to summon the dead to vote.
#21 by Richardqed on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 5:05 pm
LCW should really try to be smarter in order not to be manipulated by the BN.
If he is out of ideas on how to do that (the same way he was out of ideas against Lin Dan in the final), he can consider wearing shirts with ‘C4′ painted on the front and back the next time he finds himself in a photo session with the jokers.
#22 by zheng on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 5:10 pm
Lee Chong Wei. U have made Malaysian Proud. Especially malaysian CHINESE………………
#23 by boh-liao on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 6:28 pm
DAP and PR must have principle too. Don’t be like the BN, simply recommending titles to be dished out to people with minor and inconsistent achievements.
LCW had won an Olympic silver and he was well rewarded financially. That’s fine and he deserves it, ‘cos the reward was clearly announced before the Games started.
Silver is not Gold. LCW is not the World Champion. LCW is not the best in the world of badminton (men), unlike Nicol who is the best in the world of squash (women) and wins titles consistently. LCW is still young and he should be encouraged to reach for the sky.
LCW can be rewarded with a Datukship later. Why the hurry?
By bestowing a Datukship to a person who is not the best in his field of endeavour and still early in his career, the Penang State Government is setting a bad precedent. How can the State not bestow a Datukship to another similar mediocre achiever later? Kangkong datuk!
Likewise, a number of PKR and DAP Perak state assemblymen so quickly and greedily accepted titles (just because they were elected by the rakyat during the last GE), before they even started to serve the rakyat properly and before they show us their capability, is shamefully wrong!
We have to ask ourselves: Are DAP, PKR, and PAS politicians any different from Umno, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, etc politicians? Are they all just political animals?! Do they walk the talk?
#24 by badak on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 8:18 pm
Boh-liao,How right you are,The old guards from DAP must always remind its newly elected YBs not to get carried away.They must not only be clean, they must also seen to be clean.
PR YB,s must know that all eyes are on them.Even if they pick their nose in public ,it will come out in all MSM.
#25 by Tulip Crescent on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 8:24 pm
ktteokt and bohliao
I contrasted a datukship, tan sri title or tunship (and therefore reputation) against character.
I said that awards are ornate while character is innate.
Now let me contract the awards against academic qualifications.
Awards are ascribed while academic qualifications (not the Ph.D type of Arif Shah) are attained or achieved.
Therein lies the basic difference.
#26 by badak on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 8:37 pm
LCW don,t have a choise,If LCW do not follow what UMNO led BN government says ,He can kiss his future goodby.As ELECTED OPPOSITION YBs you guys can,t get the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT to give what is rightly yours .
How do you expect people like LCW to not follow BN instructions.
#27 by Rocky on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 10:43 pm
I’m sad that this govt and the so call Malay defenders see it fit to push aside our King. by right the King is the head of the country and his majesty should be invited to give the award to Chong Wei.The money is given by the govt and using tax payers money thus his majesty should be the right person to do that. The King is above politics and so is sports. So the jaguh ketuanan Melayu are the ones showing disrespect to our King!!! :(
Daulat Tuanku!!!
and really we do not need all these datukship for this young folks. Give them some award without titles. anyway datukships are not well looked upon.
#28 by GodFromHeaven on Friday, 22 August 2008 - 11:27 am
What is the qualification for award a title Datuk?
#29 by lopez on Sunday, 24 August 2008 - 6:31 am
There are many ways to playdown successes and triumph of others and many ways to paint and over do the same.
in bolih land it is very common to among some of us, who do the hard work and somebody else gets the credit.
Many of these comes in by helicopter or elevators or just becomes your immediate superiors.
So it was not really suprising in bolihland you get bullied like that.
As far as the recent success in badminton is concern by this bright penangnite, he is absurdly being given a taste of the same which happen to many of bright people in boilhland since last 20 odd years.
But most absurd is that why the precedent was not followed, if the previous silver medalist get their recognition in the parliment then just maintain the standard lah, why the double standards,