A LEAGUE OF OUR OWN, IT AIN’T ANYMORE

Opening Remarks by Y.Bhg. Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan
Chief Secretary to the Government

At the Official Opening Ceremony on the Occasion of the 33rd Annual Meet of Senior Officials, Public Service of Malaysia-Singapore

Bismillahir rahmanir rahim

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh

And a very good morning

His Excellency Mr. Peter Ho,
Head of Singapore Civil Service,

Colleagues

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today’s visit has special significance, amongst many for both Singapore and Malaysia. In the spirit of the regularly mentioned “competition” between us, we both did not make it to the World Cup 2010. We are mere spectators and I am almost certain we have devout followers of the Cup amongst us today. We can still of course compete on the teams we support!

2. On that note and on behalf of my colleagues from the Malaysian delegation, allow me to first express my appreciation and gratitude to His Excellency Peter Ho, and the Government of Singapore for your warm hospitality, as always. Thank you.
Ladies and Gentlemen,

3. The recent matches in the 2010 World Cup have manifested insightful revelations. You can have the Footballer of the Year like Lionel Messi in your team and still fall short of grabbing the keys to the lines of final victory. Or that you may be a team made of world superstar players like Brazil and miss the Cup altogether because you lacked discipline. Or concoct a mutiny on the Cup scene like France did to the scorn of the French people. Even a team like England, the country that started the very game of modern football in the 19th Century and homes of leading League Clubs today, saw defeat when the seeming best formed a team. And then there is a team like Argentina whose Coach reigned greater popularity and publicity than the team itself, yet saw success eluding it last Saturday.

4. A young team, a young coach, unknown stars – – all if assembled to play within the tightness of teamwork could infiltrate the strength and might of any Goliath. Germany never made the World Cup finals, yet their performance in the 2010 World Cup, hasn’t escaped the analysis pages of a “new kind of football”. Germany’s performance in the 2010 Cup will be remembered for the next four years at least regardless of who wins the World Cup tomorrow. It would set new standards to how football will evolve henceforth. Amidst the adrenaline rush of competition, and chants of Shakira’s “Waka Waka” Theme Song, Germany’s performance this year has brought to the fore some basic lessons in management and teamwork.

5. Twenty years ago, when they were at the top of their game after winning the World Cup in 1990, Germany decided to overhaul the way football was played. They overhauled their football academy. They brought in a young coach, who gradually shaped a team of not only young players, but young and educated players. Players able to bridge technique with intellect. A team that would mortify JP Morgan’s 69-page analysis of “Quantitative Guide to World Cup 2010”, which predicted an England win, through simple, nonchalant, almost un-sexy rules of teamwork. Essentially — no one person alone is a superstar. Michael Ballack, Germany’s superstar did not play at this Cup. It simply showed that the burden of winning is not to be on one person because he is deemed a superstar, but that the entire team is to carry that weight to victory.

6. Germany’s former coach and player Franz Beckenbauer recently said, eleven of Germany’s 23 players would have been eligible to play for different countries. They were non-Germans with German passports. Germany had brought a different dimension to the team’s traditional style of discipline and teamwork. They did not play for big football clubs, but were efficient and effective. They didn’t bother recruiting divas! The Coach, he said, was brave enough to let the young and unknown players challenge old traditions of playing football. At semi finals German League (Bundesliga) had 28 of its representatives playing the World Cup this year, the highest compared to other world Leagues.

7. Taking cues from the adrenaline of World Cup, we must all have the collective strength to look through a new prism of reality in our own regional and global dialogues, cooperation and collaborations. Be bold enough to challenge “the used-to-bes”. Let go of diva-likes. They may not be where our ultimate strengths lie. And change when we are at the top of our game.

8. Peter, I would like to thank you and your colleagues for hosting this weekend. For all those who are playing Golf tomorrow, I call for great team victories. We may not have made the World Cup, but we, Singapore and Malaysia, can still all play our own Leagues as a Team, but on the rules of engagement of golf please and not football. And by the way, I did not support Germany at the World Cup!!!

Thank you.