So why are the juniors so special?

Because they are not yet defined. They are still a blank sheet of paper till we write on it.

So some actually think they are supposed to win when they face the IMs. They actually think they are supposed to improve their chess and train. But when they win selection fairly their victory is not celebrated. Instead they are told that they have made enemies and they see the forces that did not want them to win attacking them.

When they are juniors, we split them up into Perak, Selangor, Kelantan, Sabah etc. But what I saw at Mal/Sing 2011 on the trip back by train, after the historic win, were Malaysians.

There were no Chinese, Indian, Malays. There was only Nabil, Syakir, Alia, Mark, Eng Chiam, Kaushal etc etc.

And then we tell them that their achievement was nothing. 

The juniors are undefined, their potential is limitless. Until we limit them. Until we tell them they are all washed out by 14. Until we tell them they cannot try until they too have the fat numbers. But we know they cannot get that today. So we have limited them.

Now, these juniors will one day be our future leaders. And we keep telling them that they Tak Boleh.

So let me define the glass ceiling in another way that may be more useful for us. Let me say that the glass ceiling is formed when unlimited potential is confined by limited minds. Or in french, when big brains are controlled by no brains.

So if we want that GM, if we want Malaysia to stand tall in the International arena, we have to put big brains at the top of MCF. Then we will progress.