Why Malaysian Chess has lost it's way.

Lets just have a brief look at what chess is really about again. I wrote this in 2009 just before being elected to PICA. Here.

And we have MCF which is the sports body to govern the growth of chess in Malaysia. Now chess is primarily a family affair. The vast bulk of the players are children and only a few make it to the very top of chess. So what really is the function of a mental sports like chess; a co-curriculum activity even in schools. What is the general wisdom? Isn't it to teach them positive values? Are we not supposed to teach them good sportsmanship/fair play, honesty and keeping to the rules, the value of thinking through, the value of planning and training; the value of mental strength and hard work.

Isn't that what they are supposed to learn from chess whether they become a GM or Not?

So that is the big picture and this is the Constitution of MCF, Here. , which the committee is supposed to follow in the governance of chess but which they do not. Are we not supposed to bring up smart, law abiding citizens to bring Malaysia to the next level? But before we can do that, is MCF not supposed to be setting the example?

But what is MCF doing? I think the accounts is going to be very very revealing. It hasn't come out but most of us already know what it will show. We have already seen glimpses from Tse Pin's own admission. Here.

We already see the celebration and setting up as examples for the rest of our kids to follow in the back room boys. We saw the attacks on the Junior who did it the correct way by training and competing in a proper selection. We also saw the sabotage of the training program for our Juniors.

Think about this also. Chess teaches us how to solve problems within the rules. How to set goals etc. What example has MCF been showing us. Have they solved even one of the problems that has been plaguing us for the past 30 years plus? Have they taken any measures to correct mistakes or have they instead rewarded those that match fix, hold suspect tournaments, ban without grounds etc etc etc.

This is what they are teaching our children and the future leaders of Malaysia. So can we change this? Right now we have a section of chess that cannot read, cannot reason or think and almost for sure cannot stand tall in an International field. 

Right now the only way to get an International level Malaysian in chess is if the culture of Fide is similar to the culture in Malaysian chess. Then we can strike a deal. MCF has plenty of experience there but not in improving our chess.

Caveat. If we look at our very youngest juniors we can see the tremendous talent and potential. I submit that the current culture in MCF and Malaysian chess in general not only does not develop them but instead bring them all up to be just like Jimmy. Is that a good thing? Look at how he got into the Olympiad team and how he performed there. Look at all the other things he has done to the juniors to enable him to still remain on the team.

So can we have a new and responsible MCF from the next AGM that truly serves to lead?