Dr Ong Kong Swee
KUCHING: Sports associations wishing to use sports facilities to organise future major competitions in Sarawak must give ample notice to the Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC).
In a press statement released yesterday, SSC chief executive officer Dr Ong Kong Swee explained that the corporation needs ample notice so that there is sufficient time to prepare properly and set up the equipment and facilities.
“Sometimes it will need about two to three months to fix up the equipment which also requires personnel from outside the State for it is electronic equipment which requires the expertise.
“Also, the equipment such as the electronic timing device are still under warranty and only the personnel from the supplier of the equipment should operate it,” Ong pointed out.
The supplier has laid down a condition that they will not be responsible if anything goes wrong with the equipment should other parties apart from their staff handle the equipment.
Ong was responding to the complaint from the public to Democratic Action Party (DAP) official Kelvin Yii which was published in some local newspapers and one national Chinese newspaper on Tuesday (Feb 14) on the non-usage of the electronic scoreboard which caused “teething” problems during last weekend’s 44th Sarawak Age Group Swimming Championships held at the Sarawak Aquatics Centre in Petra Jaya.
Ong said the organisers had only submitted the application to use the pool and equipment on Feb 2 while the meet was held from Feb 10-12.
“We wish to clarify that the application for the use of the electronic scoreboard was not entertained as the organisers did not give us sufficient time to prepare for it to function properly.
“The scoreboard system is still under warranty and as such only the staff employed by the supplier can work on the fixing and running of the equipment timing system.
“All applications for such usage of the equipment must be submitted and received two months or more before the date of competitions by SSC,” Ong continued.
“I seek the understanding and co-operation of the sports associations concerned to prevent any issues of such nature recurring,” he said.
Some members of the public raised the matter to the DAP after races during the meet were timed manually and led to some technical problems and a host of other “problems” not connected to the scoring system.