Conflict of Interest.

This is the major problem afflicting Malaysian chess. We see trainers, organisers and parents vying for position or undue influence in Associations.

Without proper guidelines and code of conduct we see the mayhem that we are seeing now. The illicit use of power and authority. The sabotage.

Lets look at this complex dance of conflict to shed some light on the subject. Greg called parents behind our backs and attempted to sabotage the Asean training 2010. Conflict? He is also a trainer.

Then at Mal/Sing 2011, he was talking to me about his disappointments with Mok as team captain. He also talked about why he doesn't think Mas will make GM. And so he supported selection when I argued for it.

The backlash on him was also instructive. He was also attacked on the blogs etc. Selection means that the glass ceiling can be broken as was later demonstrated. So certain "players" and their cronies and certain parents with vested interest attacked him.

The attack on me is incidental. I do not have the position or the authority. I merely write my blog to try and raise awareness surrounding the issues.

The thematics were attacked probably for the reason that it mirrors closely to the training given in China. I only found out later when Aaron Teh's mum had breakfast with a group of us during National Junior 2011. And yes Jimmy, Aaron is trained in China. So some people did not want others to get similar exposure via our thematics.

And FGM players were attacked with collusion from Greg also probably because he is a trainer too.

And now when questions are asked about abuse of power and vested interest they foam at the mouth.

So we need the conflict of interest issues resolved. And for that we need strong leadership. Someone who can withstand the attacks from the different vested interest groups and put in place proper guidelines and code of conduct.

If not we cannot progress. Association power and collusion is used to sabotage any outside agency and any player that is not in the inner circle. So we see the sabotage of any program that does not financially benefit the inner circle and the knocking out of strong players for reasons that have nothing to do with chess.

Lets go back to Greg again. After SEA games selection he brought in 2 extra players outside the selection criteria. One of them his student and the other? Maybe political? Conflict of interest.

And so is the "banning" of a national player by a washed out trainer and he was even further supported to try and bring this nonsense to National rapid and National blitz. Again conflict of interest. The use of Association power to prop up a failing training school. Hence also KLCA.

And there are many more examples if this is not convincing enough.

How to get a GM under this condition? Training of juniors stopped and top juniors openly attacked with no one in authority to defend them.

I also asked where is the all the money MCF receives that can be used to train our players, juniors and seniors? Why are we sending our players out untrained and unprepared? Conflict between enriching oneself at the expense of the Association?

And yet a few still don't seem to see the problem. I wonder why? Conflict of interest?

Again I would like to state. The Associations are meant to be fair to all and not just those with vested interests.

Eligibility for representation should only be based on those that have won their place in clean competition and strictly according to written selection criteria and for no other reason.