VM Chandran-A True Friend by Syed Akhbar Ali

Mr VM Chandran,Tuan Haji Baharuddin Dato Mokhsen and Mr Woo Choon Chow

Well it is certainty not easy to write something like this.Our human psyche is more tuned to accept the passing of elders who have advanced in age.But when our peers leave us there has to be more deliberateness in accepting it.

I want to say that Mr VM Chandran was a nice man.He was a good person.In the local parlance he always had a "niat yang baik" or good intentions.

Having known him almost 22 years and having spent hours at a stretch with him discussing everything from business,family,politics,government,country,
society,economics,the Americans,Indians,Japanese and everything else under the sun I came to understand him well.

In the adage 'reading maketh a full man" seeks a good example that would be Mr Chandran. He was well read therefore knowledgeable.Conversations were easy and enlightening because there was always a reference to facts and information that had been properly written somewhere.Aristotle who was a student of Plato became a teacher to Alexander the Great.Alexander and Aristotle discussed that they could not implement Athenian democracy in all societies.Each society had to find its own level.

The intense reading habit also helped at work where Mr Chandran carefully read every single document and contract that came before him.'We must read'he would say.'We must know the details'.Do not let others tell you what is in the document.Hence Mr Chandran could navigate through a diverse portfolio of businesses.

His vast reading habit even made him well versed about health care issues which did benefit many people who had need of advise on health care.Mr Chandran even wrote a series of useful articles about private health care which I carried in my blog.The articles elicited much discussion and comment and perhaps effected some reaction upon the private medical health sector.

By nature he was kind unto many people,especially those who needed help.He really went out of his way to help people.Passing is finality.It is a reminder to cherish the time that we have.Mr Chandran would have agreed.And laughed about it too.

A Tribute To Mr. V.M.Chandran-The Man With A Golden Heart

 Madam Yasotha Selvarajah and her soulmate Mr.V.M.Chandran 

My friend, Mr. V.M. Chandran, was not born on a bed of roses, but he turned his life into a beautiful rose. The fragrance from this rose pervaded and touched many lives during his lifetime. He is a simple man who is shy of power, position, title, and fame but a great man in his own way.

Chandran's life journey began in darkness. When he was barely two years old and not aware of the world around him, his father passed away, leaving him and his three-year-old sister Malar in the hands of his mother. Life was challenging, and there was a time the family stayed in a room on the first floor of a shop lot in Seremban. His mom, a woman of strong willpower, brought up the family single-handedly.

Chandran found his mother to be a tremendous source of inspiration as he pursued success in life. Through unwavering perseverance and determination, he successfully completed his tertiary education at King George V (KGV) in Seremban and went on to become a qualified Chartered Accountant and Lawyer.

From an early age, Chandran's household name among family and friends was "Gandhi." He was truly a "Gandhian" in spirit. With open arms, he will lend a hand to encourage someone and even counsel them in their time of need. He never made a fuss about meeting and helping anyone.

He was a man with extensive knowledge and wisdom in several fields. Walter Lippman, the American writer, once spoke of men who plant trees that other men will sit under. My friend was such a man.

Chandran married his beautiful sweetheart, Yasotha Selvarajah, and the couple is blessed with five handsome boys: Vishven, Srishti, Rahulan, Govind, and Jairaj. Together, with love, care, and attention, the couple educated their children to become leaders in their respective fields.

Chandran holds education close to his heart. He believes that education is essential, but he emphasises that virtues are equally important in shaping a person. According to his philosophy, knowledge gained from education should be used to benefit mankind, not to exploit it.

Despite his busy schedule, he always found the time to call or visit his friends and former teachers from KGV in Seremban. And since I had moved to Seremban from KL, we will meet occasionally for lunch and then proceed for tea. I cherished this get-together and always looked forward to our next meeting. 

In fact, we were supposed to catch up on Jan 22, which sadly didn't materialise with the passing of Chandran on the 20th of Jan.

 

Over the many years I knew this wonderful man, he always prioritised his family and made it clear that they mattered most. He would keep me informed about his son's academic progress while they were in the UK with his wife and later when they started their careers.

And without fail, every year on Jan 25th, my friend murmurs to me, "Enbaraj, today is Yasotha's birthday. Chandran's love for Yasotha is immeasurable." Truly, they were born to be soulmates.

The last 18 months of his life were undoubtedly the most challenging time. He was undergoing treatment at the hospital, but this didn't stop him from living life to the fullest. He continued to do what he loved: visiting family, friends, and teachers from KGV, and making his yearly pilgrimage to Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati.

His greatest joy was spending time with his beloved grandson, Jayce Chandran, Srishti's son. Whenever I speak to him on the phone, I can hear the sound of Jay playing in the background.

When I visited Chandran at his home recently, I saw him playing with his grandson. His eyes were filled with joy, and it reminded me of the saying that eyes are the windows to the soul. It felt like I saw a sense of freedom in my friend's eyes, which reminded me of a beautiful poem shared by his soulmate, Yasotha Selvarajah, in her WhatsApp status. The poem goes, "There is freedom waiting for you, On the breezes of the sky, And you ask, 'What if I fall?' Oh, but darling, what if you fly!".

When I saw my friend for the last time, resting in peace, my heart quivered for a second as if a part of me had left me. I was trembling for a moment. Then, after regaining my composure, I thanked the Great Lord for giving us this man with the golden heart and asked Him to take good care of him.

The beautiful rose may have departed, but its fragrance will endure in our memories forever.

 

"I will truly miss you, my beloved friend and brother."

 

 

Thank You.

 

 

Edited by my niece Sasmiita Segar.

 

 

 

Puisi Yang Cukup Bermakna Untuk Coach Dharma-Untuk Coach Luar Biasa

Bagi pihak keluarga,saya ingin ucapkan ribuan terimakasih kepada penulis puisi ini. Puisi yang cukup bermakna untuk adik saya,Dharma.

Kejayaan adik saya adalah hasil sokongan dan dorongan yang diberikan oleh Majlis Sukan Negara(MSN) dan Persekutuan Hoki Malaysia.

Saya berpendapat ilmu kejurulatihan yang ada pada adik saya lebih baik digunakan untuk membimbing jurulatih-jurulatih hoki di sekolah-sekolah sukan di Malaysia.

Dengan adanya jurulatih-jurulatih yang berilmu di tahap pembangunan saya yakin Malaysia dapat capai prestasi yang baik di peringkat dunia.

Di Malaysia kita ada ramai pemain-pemain muda yang cukup berbakat untuk di bentuk jadi pemain taraf dunia.

Ada satu peribahasa yang cukup bermakna yang penulis gemar gunakan:"Kalau nak lenturkan buluh,biarlah dari rebungnya."

Saya berharap Kementerian Belia dan Sukan, Majlis Sukan Negara, Persekutuan Hoki Malaysia dan Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia dapat mempertimbangankan cadangan saya.

Terimakasih

                                       -----------------------------------
Untuk Coach Luar Biasa

Insan ini bukan sebarangan,
Dalam berjuta mungkin seorang,
Sudah terbukti merentas zaman,
Jasa tercurah bukan kepalang.

Insan ini tak kenal penat,
Seawal fajar sudah tercegat;
Sudah disaksikan padang keramat,
Tak pernah henti perah keringat.

Insan ini hatinya mulia,
Memimpin pasukan julang negara;
Banyak kali menjadi juara,
Yang tidak nampak jelaslah buta.

Insan ini hatinya cerah,
Sekecil perkara habis dibedah;
Supaya selesai semua masalah,
Seluruh pasukan dapat faedah.

Insan ini cintakan watan,
Tidak memilih untuk berkawan;
Sekecil2 jurulatih di lapangan,
Kami dibantu tak tagih ganjaran.

Di Gelang Patah pernah bertandang,
Bukan mencari pari semilang;
Tapi membantu di atas padang,
Sekolah kecil juara disandang.

Insan ini permata kita,
Usah dibiar berlalu duka;
Lupakah kita segala jasa,
Juara Asia dan ke-4 dunia?

Terima Kasih Tuan Dharma,
Jasa Tuan takkan dilupa;
Kami memandang penuh mulia,
'Kita langgar!" azimat sentiasa!

Tulisan;
Yang pernah jadi coach hoki kampungan

An Arrogant Man Is A Weak Man! by Maninderjit Singh

It's people like Mike that gives us hope in Malaysian hockey. He takes the time and trouble to elucidate his views concerning Malaysian hockey tirelessly. I'm sharing his latest article on the current affairs of Malaysian hockey for you to peruse.

Recently Mike apprised me that Malaysian hockey needs at least 10 years to prepare a formidable team to qualify for the Olympics. Frankly, in my view, the decisions that are being made now are in fact destroying the development of the game.

For now, I will give you one example as to the decision not to renew the contract of the coaches upon reaching its term. It was legally right but was it morally right when the coaches were informed that their contracts would not be renewed just a few weeks before the National Hockey League.

Whatever decisions we make now will have an impact on the future of the game.

Thank You.
                                    .................................

Mike's views are as below:

Don't confuse confidence with arrogance. Arrogance is being full of yourself, feeling you're always right, and believing your accomplishments or abilities make you better than other people. 

After failing 5 years miserably and lost a ticket to Olympic, and given another term till next Olympic cycle is like a death crop awaiting for final funeral rites. The decay of the game smells immensely throughout the country.

Just because you command votes, it doesn't mean that 32million people are happy with the progress and ongoings. Day by Day, the public perception & support is deteriorating badly & sports lovers' anger & frustration is increasing enormously. The boiling point is coming close...

After Congress, the quality of Bearers is at the lowest ever due to dirty political maneuver & en-bloc withdrawal of high profile personalities & former internationals who were honest & had the passion to save the game. It will be a nonfunctional Board that has a more "carelessness mindset" than corporate values & low standard of understanding the depth of the game (most are a school or state players). The current Board lacks modern knowledge & comes without any success profile in their achievements & lack in implementation methodology. Therefore, it will be stagnant progress without any deliveries until next Olympic.

People often believe arrogance is excessive confidence, but it's really a lack of confidence. By removing many former international from the outfit & not considering others to help out will haunt your decision & there will be a price to be paid. Time will tell & you're giving yourself more rope to be hanged. 

People like Tai Beng Hai, Yahya Atan, Stephen, Logan Raj, K Enbaraj, Lim Chiow Chuan, Nor Saiful, Mohd Dharma, Mohd Madzil, S Vellapan, Iman Gobinathan, Saliza & Kerpal Singh are removed or decided not to continue & terminated without any valid reasons. Honor former international with respect & not just throwing them away without any reasonable reasons. There are many potential & credible Coaches like Sarjit Singh, Arul Selvaraj, Eugene Lee, Nor Azlan Bakar, Fairuz Ramli, Kelvinder, Selvaraju, Kaliswaran & many more that are not called in to support the game. More so, personalities like Ow Soon Koi, Yoges, Maheswari, Ramakrishnan, Lum Sau Fong, MA Sambu, Keevan Raj, Baljit,  Collin Sta Maria, R Shanker, S Kuhan and many more who are capable international out there that could contribute well towards the game but been ignored. Mantra - without Former Internationals, you will never succeed! 

Even top officials including TO/Umpires are sidelined & ignored. They've served the Nation with pride at the highest level (Olympics) & were dedicated to the sports. Arrogant people are insecure, and often repel others. Sad state of affairs.

Other Top Nations are having a busy schedule like playing in Pro League & preparing for Olympic. But here, the custodian is busy with politicking & still unsettled after Congress. The gap is getting wider between the top teams & us at the international level. Full of arrogance without knowing the real facts & how to manage the game at its best. 

Where is your lackadaisical Post-mortem report & blueprint? Little bird said that most players were not happy with the Foreign Coach. And you're caught in catch 22 situation. You have failed big time & more to come as the signs are already showing...

Arrogance is an unhealthy ego in sports that need repair. If you feel you & your team could not contribute progressively & lack the ideas to save the game, its an easy solution - just step down and call for a fresh election, with that we could get the right person in the right position who embodies excellent & at least there will light at the end of the tunnel rather than darkness.

To all the Affiliates who sold your souls, well done & keep it up. You have lost your check & balance rights. You were supposed to be the heartbeat of the Organisation but rather succumb and bow down to unqualified bearers who are directionless. Even at your backyard, you have failed but showing your supremacy at the National level is just finding a needle in a haystack. You have lost it due to a Tour!

Time to buck up or pack your bags up...

By Maninderjit Singh (Mike)
Former international
12th February 2020

Pivotal Role Of Coaches-Loughborough University

"It is important to educate athletes and coaches at all levels of participation in the vital role effective coach-athlete relationships can ultimately play in their success and satisfaction." 

Researchers from Loughborough University have highlighted a good quality relationship between coaches and their athletes in ensuring world-class performance and increasing successful and satisfying participation in sport at all levels.

This ongoing research program-carried out by a team of researchers from the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences and led by Dr. Sophia Jowett, alongside national and international collaborators-emphasizes that the coach-athlete relationship is not an "add-on" or by-product of sport, but the foundation of sport.

Dr. Jowett and her research team have developed the world's first and only theoretical model to explain the content and quality of the coach-athlete relationship. This model is known as 3+1Cs: Closeness, Commitment,
Complementarity,and Co-orientation.

The 3 + 1Cs model and its accompanied psychometric measures have enabled them to systematically explore the links between the quality of the coach-athlete relationship(i.e. 3 + 1Cs) and important factors such as performance, satisfaction, motivation, passion, confidence, physical self-concept across different level of sport participation ranging from elite to grassroots sport.

Dr. Sophia Jowett said the team's research shows that relationship developed between coaches and athletes is a fundamental medium that can make the journey to achieving great success less arduous and more fulfilling.

We have heard the best athletes in the world vouched how grateful they were of their coaches' effort and belief in them. Their statements not only underline their appreciation, respect, and commitment to their coaches but also reflects the importance of this coach-athlete relationship.

Dr. Jowett said now is the time to incorporate this accumulated knowledge and understanding around coach-athlete relationships into coach education programmes, as well as into sport policy development that aims to support the developing athlete and coach or promote the interest of sport at all level

While our research is ongoing, we now have more research findings than ever before to show how pivotal the quality of the coach-athlete relationship is for athletes and coaches'experience of sport, Dr.Jowet emphasized.


Thank You.

Medical Health Insurance - "Does the introduction of new medical technology exacerbate the cost of Medical care?"By Mr.V.M.Chandran

In loving memory of my dear friend, Mr. V.M. Chandran.

Medical Health Insurance is a risk mitigation mechanism where for a comparatively small amount of monies per year, one can hedge against risks which may be of significant value such as medical expenses. This depends on what type and extent of coverage one has, which is predetermined to compute the premium based on personal information which includes age, occupation, medical history including family, any pre-existing illness, and other key matters.  

Today a good 80 to 85 % of patients in private hospitals use medical insurance as their primary source for funding their medical expenses. This has become a key integral part of Private health care. 

An interesting aspect of Medical costs is that its inflation in Malaysia is running as high as 12 to 15%, which itself is a "world record" whilst premiums for medical insurance seem to be "  hitting the roof" with a remarkable increase of 30% for 2020. Maybe the traditional economics "Supply and Demand" seem not to hold its assumptions in Private health care.

Insurance companies seem to have a forceful argument that technological innovations in Medical science have increased the cost of medical care. This is their principal justification as they "pool" the total claims and spread it over a larger population by creating such an astronomical increase in premiums. A point that is continuously debated because Insurance companies seem to move at a "snail's pace" to approve technological treatment including "robotics". Indeed some regard them as a hindrance to scientific progress in medical care. Probably, Insurance companies in their actuarial calculations have never inbuilt aspects of new technology development unless it is the latest medical health insurance policy.

On the other side, Private hospitals indicate technology has helped in efficient operating levels and much earlier recovery of patients. Yet the benefits that it is supposed to accrue is not reflected in the patient "billings". Indeed, medical health care has skyrocketed with technology.  A simple appendicitis operation by traditional surgery would cost around RM8,000. A new technological approach seems to put the bill around RM20,000. Obviously, the classic argument of capital cost, operating cost including maintenance and training cost would seem to be their cost build-up argument. 

The key question that arises from advancement in technology is to whom the benefits in the form of operational efficiency and speedy recovery are advantageous???? Surely not to the patients in " dollars & cents". If any, the private hospitals turn around time for patients and more effective use of assets paves the way for higher utilisation of those assets and better occupancy level, ultimately for better profits. All this is a significant cost to the patient.

While I have blatantly stated the point that new technology is benefiting private hospitals, it must also be recognised that I am aware that a few hospitals are ethical about such things and allow the choice to the patients ie whether to adopt traditional or technology-aided procedures. This I must mention to differentiate them.

This brings me back to the aspect of Medical insurance. If patients have regular claims on their medical bills, the issue of "civilised" increases in premiums seems to have a sound foundation. However, where the insurance premium increases are burdened on people who have the "cover" but had not utilised it, should they be subjected to the same "pari passu" treatment as patients who make claims against their insurance? Here the Insurance companies are playing "Robin Hood" ie pooling all the premiums, with or without claims to pay for claims of patients who incurred the medical expenses. Is that proper?

M Shanmugam of Star media had raised in one of his articles on Health care the issue of "No Claims Bonus" - NCB. The term NCB is best known for Motor Insurance, where predetermined discounts are provided for motor insurance premiums when there are no claims when renewal arises. It seems to be a benefit that is accrued to the vehicle owner for ensuring that his vehicles were not subject to any claims. Sort of a "Reward" system.

Introducing NCB for Medical insurance can be the best roadmap action to be taken by Insurance companies in Malaysia. Much too long we seem to be "short-changed" as all medical insurance holders are lumped together. What makes matters diabolically interesting is that in various other regimes some form of "Reward " system is in place for Medical insurance holders who maintain their health and or who do not make claims for medical expenses.

Some of the prevailing scenarios are:

1. NCB is provided on 50% of the ceiling sum over a period of 5 years. The NCB  is not used to discount premiums but rather is added to the ceiling sum each year till the 5th year. 
This effectively means at the end of the 5th year, the ceiling sum has increased by 50%, whereas in the intervening period the premium is charged on the original base case.
This scheme has its advantage as it can help the medical insurance holder to capitalise on new technology for medical care with a larger ceiling sum. Insurance companies are reluctant to implement.

2. In some places where the Medical Insurance holder has not made any claims on his Insurance, the cumulative premium paid during the term is reimbursed after some administrative charges.

3. There are places where the NCB amount on Medical health insurance is given "portable" rights ie transferable to other existing insurance policies of the individual, which could enhance its value.

The regimes that provide such facilities particularly on NCB for Medical health insurance seem to cater across the board recognising each group and attributing to the careful management of their Medical health insurance. The "lazy" approach of "lumping" everyone as one is an easy way out but the justice of equity is not there. 

In a nutshell, it would seem Insurance companies are maximising their returns with regard to the idiosyncrasies that exist in their field. A "clean sweep" system is adopted as the Insurance holders are burdened with ever-increasing premiums. This would become more acute as Medical science moves forward innovating new techniques and procedures. The health insurance remains stagnant in a time of its own and their only solution is to increase the premiums. 

Insurance companies must be more creative in their health insurance and one key area is to engage with Private hospitals in the introduction of new technology. Indeed if any they are the Private hospitals'  biggest paymaster, so they have the negotiating powers to determine the "monies worth" of the charges. This is a duty of care and responsibility that Insurance companies owe to the health insurance policyholders.

Unfortunately, they seem to omit this part of their duties that seems to help in catalysing the escalation of medical health costs in the country. The failure to take such responsibility seems to have a devastating effect on the cost of private Health care in Malaysia and the problem is growing.

V M Chandran
January 2020.

MHC-The Facts Were Staring Right at Us (Conclusion)

A few years ago, I took my nephew to a colouring competition at a nearby mall. He was really excited about it as he loved colouring. The environment at the competition was quite chaotic with screaming children, loud music, and shoppers moving around. Despite all the distractions, my nephew remained focused on his colouring for the entire three hours of the competition. Watching him made me realize that when you are passionate about something, you can fully concentrate on it, no matter what's happening around you.

"It's not a lack of concentration, but rather a lack of passion for learning that I had assumed was the issue with the Malaysian hockey team. When you have a genuine passion for learning, you naturally give your full attention to the task at hand, and concentration issues simply do not arise. In essence, if you find yourself having to remind someone to concentrate, it indicates that their heart isn't fully in the game."

Let's consider how these new findings can positively impact our Malaysian hockey team. The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) has made significant investments in securing hockey experts from around the world to train our team in specific skills, demonstrating their commitment to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Qualifier. While the players have diligently attended all required training sessions, it's crucial for them to also engage in self-training to master the skills they've learned from the experts. While an expert coach can provide valuable guidance, it's ultimately the players' dedication to practice and refine these skills that will lead to mastery.

In preparation for the 1991 Olympic qualifier, I dedicated myself to hitting thousands of balls, honing the technical aspect of my penalty corner hit. Despite this effort, I only saw improvement when I focused on mastering the mental skills of maintaining calm and composure. During the crucial moments of executing a short corner, it's essential to exhibit a composed demeanour to fully utilise the technical skills stored in implicit memory. This process requires both physical strength and mental acuity to work in harmony.

I hope I have thoroughly conveyed the predicament facing our hockey team. This issue will persist as long as the existing system continues to produce mediocre players and incentivise them with substantial rewards, in the hopes that they will elevate their performance. The highest-earning athletes in sports command substantial incomes due to their unwavering commitment to consistently improving their performance. The ability to deliver consistent results is the defining characteristic of a true champion.

The mark of mediocrity is inconsistency, and unfortunately, it has become the trademark of our national hockey team. If nothing changes, the attrition rate among youth hockey players will likely increase. As a result, when funding diminishes, the mediocre players representing the country professionally may exit the sport. While I hope this prediction is incorrect, the signs are pointing to a crisis in Malaysian hockey: a high attrition rate and an abundance of mediocre players.

Over the years, thousands of young individuals have gone through the Sukan Teras and 1Mas hockey development programs to build a larger pool of hockey players for the Malaysian Hockey League (MHL), which serves as a platform for selecting future national players. Can we confirm whether the MHL has indeed experienced growth as a result of these efforts?

There is a saying that two people can look at the same stars but see things differently. While my viewpoint may differ from that of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation, I am confident in stating that the game of hockey is dwindling in our country.

I hope the phrase I commonly used for the Malaysian hockey team, "It's so close yet so far," won't change to "it's beyond our reach." Then playing in the Olympics will always be like building castles in the air.




Thank You.