Malaysians are all caught up in the coming Dato Arthur Tan Malaysian Open (DATMO) and why not? It is the only thing going for it - thanks to 83 year old Dato Tan Chin Nam who recently stepped down from being the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF) President again.
And apparently MCF has a new President, perhaps the man that Dato Tan was referring to when he said that he had finally found the right person after waiting over 20 years to replace him.
But what are the facts? I am not involved much in the local scene but this I do know:
1. The new MCF President does not play chess
2. New Honorary Secretary Gregory Lau has avoided me since I proposed we organise an IM/rating event for just RM 10,000 to help Lim Yee Weng meet his title requirements and for talents like Nicholas Chan to get on the IM track. Why? He was enthusiastic and sought an immediate meeting with the new MCF President to facilitate this. I think we all can easily guess why!
3. Malaysia will not be in the 1st World Mind Sports Games being held in Beijing from 3-18 October 2008 because somehow we did not enter. But 77 National Chess Federations did knowing that even the airfare was paid for!
4. This is not new because I know that last year we did not enter anyone in the Asian Individual Chess Championship where the costs was an AirAsia flight (RM 450 retun when I last looked), forgot to send our top young player to the Asian Junior Championship, and not enter a team in the Asian Team Championship where the trophy bears the name of our second Prime Minister but I did hope this would change.
5. Hopefully we do remember to register in time for the Olympiad - this is one event I am sure we cannot ignore.
6. Is our youth development going anywhere? At ASEAN Age Group level Malaysia failed miserably, our 40 odd delegation finishing well behind the 10 or so from Brunei. Maybe that explains the 3 Malaysians in the World Schools Championship in next door Singapore.
7. Finally, do we understand that Dato Tan can't live forever and I have been told that DATMO is coming to a close? But being what he is, he also cannot let go and while he lives will still insist knowing it all and on organising whatever he wants from time to time - whether a GM Tournament for Mas Hafizul (no problems with that but how about our No 1. IM Wong Zi Jing?) or an offer to sponsor a GM Trainer, etc. Is this good or bad? Go figure!
I am not optimistic for my country - the MCF Council looks like nothing more than a reshuffle and so the level of competency/commitment remains the same.
New President, new day? It does not seem so.
But if we are just looking to get a new Dato Tan, (although he is really nothing more than a patzer who does not understand that in chess his only value is that of a dumb patron when he spends) at least there will be some money for the game.
Then I fully agree that Dato Tan's 20 year quest would have not been in vain!
