‘We have a common objective’ — Swim chief to affiliates

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Wee (seated at centre) speaking at the Asas annual general meeting in Sibu last Sunday.

KUCHING: Affiliates of the Amateur Swimming Association of Sarawak (Asas) will have to stick to certain procedures concerning the migration of swimmers from one affiliate to another.

This is to avoid any dispute and misunderstanding as well as hard feelings among the affiliates when swimmers ‘hop’ from one association to another.

The unanimous agreement on the matter was reached at the Asas AGM chaired by its president Dato Wee Hong Seng at a hotel in Sibu last Sunday.

Wee brought up the matter at the meeting as he did not want to see disunity and disharmony among the affiliates.

“We have a common objective and that is to develop swimming in Sarawak and turn it into a swimming powerhouse in Malaysia,” he said.

To reach that objective, Wee said all affiliates need to work together, cooperate as a team and put all differences aside.

“I encourage all affiliates to put forward suggestions and ideas to Asas for the betterment of the sport. We want a cordial relationship between the affiliates and let the swimmers do the talking in the pool,” he said.

Wee, who is into his second year as head, said Asas has already set up a centralised membership registration so that the migration of swimmers from one affiliate to another could be carried out transparently without any hidden agenda.

All affiliates have been directed to submit their list of swimmers by January 31 each year to Asas so that it will know which swimmer is from which affiliate.

“If a swimmer wants to move to another affiliate, he/she must submit a letter of resignation to the original affiliate and get a release letter. A copy of the resignation letter must be forwarded to Asas and the resignation is deemed effective if the said affiliate did not respond within a month’s time.

“In case of any dispute, the swimmer involved can “park” under Asas, meaning he/she can swim for Asas in the state swimming championship,” said Wee.

“If the swimmer is good, let him/her swim. Never let the swimmers be victims of any disputes.

“Stop pinching of swimmers among the affiliates because I don’t want to see that to create disharmony among the affiliates,” urged Wee.

He said Asas has taken the initiative to set up a disciplinary board which will try to ensure fairness and minimise the abuse of power.

“Upon fact-finding and investigation, our course of action against the swimmer could be issuance of warning letter, show-cause letter, suspension and even expulsion from the association,” he warned.

He is also looking forward to implementing KPI (Key Performance Indicators) to monitor the performance of the coaches.

While encouraging the employment of local coaches whom he felt are being underpaid, Wee said he will have more dialogue sessions with the Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) and the Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS) to try to get better allowances and pay structure for the coaches and on the upgrading of training facilities.

At the AGM, another resolution reached was that the engagement of foreign coaches must be under a Asas board consensus.

Wee said any foreign coach who will be hired by MSNS shall be through Asas recommendation.