KUALA LUMPUR — The Kuala Lumpur Hockey Association (KLHA) elections were postponed due to what incumbent president I. Vikneswaran described it as “unnecessary chaos” caused by Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin’s coalition.
Vikneswaran’s remarks followed the disruption of the highly anticipated elections, which were derailed when candidates from the Kuala Lumpur Hockey Sports Education Association (HockAcademy), led by Megat, attempted to participate in the proceedings at a hotel on Jalan Klang Lama today.
The peaceful protest stemmed from Megat’s dissatisfaction with the KLHA’s claims that several nomination forms submitted by his coalition contained forged signatures.
Tensions escalated when Megat, who is also president of the Paralympic Council of Malaysia, and his coalition members were denied entry by individuals who appeared to be bouncers.
Megat alleged that he was pushed by these unauthorised individuals during the protest and has announced his intention to lodge a police report.
Speaking to Scoop, Vikneswaran said that concerns for safety during Megat’s protest prompted the KLHA council to seek intervention from the Sports Commissioner’s office and Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh before rescheduling the elections.
“It was the council’s decision to cancel the elections, as we were forced to do so due to the unnecessary chaos created by the opposition party.
“They (Megat’s coalition) claim to be affiliates with voting rights and voice their opinions, but based on our records, they are not. In fact, they are not even permitted to be on our premises during the elections, as we have already nullified and suspended them.
“Storming into our elections is unnecessarily is unruly behaviour. As a result, some of our legitimate affiliates left the venue out of concern for their safety.
“We will not allow this to happen again. To prevent future disruptions, we will seek the intervention of Minister Hannah and Sports Commissioner Suhardi Alias before setting a new election date,” said Vikneswaran when contacted.
Vikneswaran declined to comment on whether KLHA had engaged bouncers to prevent Megat’s coalition from entering the premises.
The KLHA elections were originally scheduled for December 28 last year but were postponed due to audit issues. — January 25, 2025