Our players are but mirrors of the leadership.

We have officials that are fearful of letting go of the back doors because they won't know how to cari makan without it. They are fearful that they won't be able to command "respect" without the power to terrorise the parents and the players.

We have trainers, who are fearful that they are not good enough to get their players to a high level without the use of back doors and without the tools to attack players better than the ones they can produce.

We have parents who are fearful that their child is not good enough to make the squad without the back doors.

And Jimmy just simply exploits all this to keep playing for Malaysia long after his due date.

The answer if we apply simple reasoning is of course for the officials to learn real skills to help them cari makan legally. Much easier to do rather than risk going to prison. For the trainers to actually improve their skills. For the parents to learn how to help their children overcome adversities without cheating and to teach them the winning mindset.

So it appears we have reached a connundrum. Fear rejects reasoning. Look around you. With people under the influence, grip of fear, no amount of evidence, reasoning or persuasion can change their minds. They just cannot be reached. Their fear becomes their compulsion. There is nothing you can do to remove their fears. Only they can confront their own fears. And this they won't or can't do.

So quite obviously, to me at least, that what we really need is a new and strong leadership to overcome the impasse or Malaysian chess will not be able to prosper.

The new leadership need to be based on solving issues. The new leadership needs to be impartial. The new leadership need to make decisions without fear or favour.

Then our GM will come. Then the medals will flow in.

For our players merely mirror our leadership. Strong leaders, strong players. Weak leaders, weak players.