Non-affiliates advised to join state parent body
KUCHING: One way to resolve the long-standing feud among the various wushu factions in the state is for the non-affiliates to join the state parent body – Wushu, Lion and Dragon Dance Federation of Sarawak (WFS).
And exponents who aspire to represent Sarawak should also join a WFS affiliate because the Wushu Federation of Malaysia (WFM), the Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS) and the State Education Department only recognise WFS as the state governing body for the martial arts sport.
“Our door is open to any association provided it follows the right procedures and abide by the WFS constitution,” WFS secretary James Ting said yesterday.
He was responding to a report in a local daily that in the interests of the state wushu exponents, MSNS director Francis Nyurang Ding had advised the Chinese Martial Arts Association (CMAA) to re-apply to become an affiliate of the state parent body.
“They (CMAA) have to follow procedures — such as applying for affiliation – in order to obtain sanction to compete in national or international competitions,” Francis was quoted as saying.
“To take part in outside tournaments, they have to be officially accepted by (WFS) as we only recognise the state parent body,” he added.
Francis gave this advice following a meeting last Wednesday between Assistant Minister of Social Development and Urbanisation (Sports) Datuk Lee Kim Shin, permanent secretary to the Social Development and Urbanisation Ministry Soedirman Aini, WFS, represented by Ting, CMAA chairman Chester Lim, a concerned parent Grace Sim and lawyer See Chee How.
The meeting, called by State Secretary Datuk Morshidi Ghani, was aimed mainly at looking into the interests of those state wushu exponents, purportedly deprived of the opportunity to compete in national and international meets because they are not members of WFS affiliates.
Allegations baseless Ting, who is also WFS chief coach and development chairman, said allegations by some parents that WFS was blocking their children from representing Sarawak were “baseless.”
“WFS doesn’t even know who are these parents and exponents. So how can they say WFS has victimised them.
“They should know very well why they cannot represent the state. Even if they don’t, they should find out the reason instead of jumping into conclusion after hearing only one side of the story,” he said.
Ting explained the WFS constitution clearly states only exponents from affiliates can take part in WFS-sanctioned competitions and represent Sarawak in Sukma or other national competitions like MSSM Wushu Championship, National Wushu Championship and National Day Martial Arts Tournament.
It is also understood that only WFS affiliates are permitted to teach the sport in schools and other educational institutions.
“We also know some of exponents from non-affiliates have represented other states such as Terengganu, Perak, Melaka and Kuala Lumpur. This is against WFM rules,” Ting said.
He pointed that this should not have been the case, especially after leaders of the wushu associations concerned had attended WFM-MSN meetings and agreed that no state should field any exponent from another state in Sukma or national meets unless the exponent has studied, worked or resided in that state for two years.
WFS now has 19 affiliates, including wushu, temple and clans associations.