Jakarta Casual

THIS has all the makings of a conspiracy. Here’s a story about a coach — KL coach Razip Ismail to be exact — and the plot to remove him from the team.

Razip’s "legitimacy" to coach KL has come under question. He posseses an Alicence and has never missed a single training session with the lads but for some people, that isn’t enough. A complaint was lodged to the FA of Malaysia (FAM) competitions committee, claiming that Razip is a fulltime staff of KL City Hall.

This, apparently, is not in accordance with the regulations as all coaches are supposed to train the team full-time. Razip was seconded to the KL Sports Council and then seconded to the KL Football Association (KLFA).

He had the approval from the various departments, including City Hall’s sports management director Datuk Muhammad Sidek Khalid, and was required to show his face in the office as a mere formality. The documents were submitted to FAM and the competitions committee considered the case closed.

Disappointed, Razip’s nemesis went a step further, making copies of Razip’s punch card and sending it to FAM recently to prove that Razip still reports to City Hall. So what if Razip still does?

City Hall funds KLFA and pays the wages of the KL Sports Council's staff. KLFA is housed at the Cheras Stadium which is maintained by City Hall.

Previous KL mayors who have helmed KLFA include Tan Sri Elyas Omar and Datuk Seri Ab Hakim Borhan. What is the big deal? Razip isn't coaching Barcelona or Bayern Munich. He is coaching KL — a team placed 12th in the Super League standings.

He doesn't earn millions or drives a Ferrari 458 Italia. The former international coaches for the love of football. FAM competitions committee chairman Datuk Hamidin Amin brushed off the allegations, claiming they were trivial.

“If you claim you are a journalist from The Malay Mail and when I ask for verification, your Human Resource department and the editor sends us the documents. I feel it is good enough to prove that you are a staff of the paper.

”We can't dwell on such matters. We have other pressing matters to attend to,” added Hamidin.

Sadly, several former players are linked to Razip’s downfall. Razip knows them well.

“I know who they are. I just don’t understand why are they so fixated over my role. I didn’t want the job... it was KLFA who offered me the job. I’m here to help the team.

“If anyone thinks they can do a better job, be my guest and run the team,” Razip added.

Radhi Mat Din was the caretaker coach for Kedah after Ahmad Yusof was sidelined. Radhi is not even an Alicenced coach yet he managed Kedah for more than a month before Wan Jamak Wan Hassan took over while everyone knows that Ahmad didn't even turn up at the training ground throughout that duration.

Why wasn't that probed? Why isn't anyone questioning the lack of leagues at the State level or why the only team in the Super League to own and run a stadium is club side Johor FC? Why is MSL Sdn Bhd chairman Tan Sri Annuar Musa still speaking about privatising the league when it should have been done a long time ago?

That is the sad state of affairs currently. Many tend to waste time on trivial matters but continue to ignore more pressing ones. Sigh!

COMMENT - Malaysian football has made tremendous strides on the field over the last few years. Unfortunately the Machiavellian machinations off the field are like to impact the careers of promising young players like Gary Robbat unless this nonsense can be knocked on the head.