KUCHING: Former state football coach Awang Mahyan Awang Mohamad is against the proposed use of the famous Ngap Sayot battle cry for political purposes.
The man credited with coining the football battle cry in the late 80s said he was unhappy with Democratic Action Party (DAP) secretary-general Lim Guan Eng’s suggestion of combining Ngap Sayot with its existing Ubah slogan as the party’s strategy for the next state election.
“I oppose any plan to have it being used for political purposes. It is not proper. Though Ngap Sayot has universal purposes apart from a battle cry in sports, I do not agree with this battle cry being used by others with political agendas,” he said when contacted.
Awang Mahyan said the battle cry is a combination of local words to psych up sportsmen.
“The word Ngap is used locally by anyone be it Chinese, Iban or Malay to signify makan (eat). The word Sayot refers to sayur (vegetables) as some of the traders then pronounced it. So, the phrase Ngap Sayot means to eat vegetables. It is to signify that it is easy for you to take down your opponent if you do not let fear get in your way.
“This battle cry is certainly meant to psych up or motivate your athletes and sportsmen during games, but it is certainly not meant for politics. They (DAP) did not use such a battle cry when they won the state of Penang so why should they need this battle cry for their strategy in Sarawak,” he said.
Ngap Sayot is often credited with the never-say-die spirit of the Sarawak football team in the late 80s, when the Crocs rose from being whipping boys to among the top teams in the country.
Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Youth Development Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said DAP should not “hijack” the battle cry for their political agenda.
“Ngap Sayot is synonymous with Sarawak football. Even though FAS has not patented that battle cry — which I personally think they need not do — that doesn’t mean DAP can just take it away.
“Don’t mix what belongs to Sarawak football fans for DAP’s political agenda as it is like stealing away a piece of Sarawak’s heritage,” he
said.
Abdul Karim, who is also a Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) supreme council member, said Lim should understand the sentiments of Sarawakians before coming up with such a proposal.
An Internet news report quoted Lim suggesting DAP use Ngap Sayot as part of its strategy to win rural areas in Sarawak during the state DAP Convention in Kuching.
DAP is eyeing 20 rural state seats following its win of five parliamentary seats in the recent election.
The party also has 12 state seats, all of which are in urban areas.