MAZLAN'S PASSING A GREAT LOSS TO MALAYSIAN SPORTS 

KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 (Bernama) -- The passing of former National Sports Council (NSC) Director-General Datuk Mazlan Ahmad this afternoon is deeply mourned by the Malaysian sporting community and is regarded as a great loss.

Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria described the Mazlan as a calm sports figure who spoke little, but whose every opinion was always insightful and respected.

"He not only made great contributions to the NSC but continued to contribute to the development of national sports through his role as an independent member of the OCM Selection Committee.

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"His services were immense, particularly in introducing programmes that elevated the country’s sporting performance to a higher level.

"We appointed him as an independent member because we trusted his transparency, expertise, and integrity in selecting the best athletes to represent the nation,"* he told Bernama.

Meanwhile, NSC Director-General Jefri Ngadirin, who was once appointed by Mazlan to lead the Core Sports Unit, described his loss as irreplaceable.

"He was a major figure in the country’s sporting arena. He was the chief architect behind many sports development programmes, including the Jaya '98 Programme," he said.

Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM) president, Norismadi Abd Manap also regarded Mazlan as a key individual who contributed greatly to the landscape of national sports development.

"We have lost the architect of the country’s sports development who leaves behind a lasting legacy.

I had the opportunity to attend several meetings with him — he was truly a person with a very sharp mind.

"Even after suffering a stroke that limited his speech, his thinking remained sharp and sensitive to issues concerning athletes and sports associations," he said.

Sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli said Mazlan was one of the NSC Director-Generals who was very media-friendly.

"He was very approachable and always easy to interview, regardless of the issue. That was the uniqueness of his character," he said.

Mazlan, who led the NSC from 1 March 1993 to 23 August 2005, passed away at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) at the age of 75, at  4.20 pm today.

The recipient of the 2022 National Sports Icon Award had been admitted to UMMC since last Friday following a stroke and a pneumonia infection.

Mazlan is remembered as the chief architect of the successful Jaya '98 and Gemilang 2001 programmes, which elevated the national contingent’s achievements at the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games and the 2001 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.

During his 12 years of service, he introduced long-term sports development policies, including the strengthening of the national back-up athlete programme and the restructuring of the National Sports Institute (ISN) to enhance sports science support for elite athletes.

He also held various important positions in national sports bodies such as the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) and served as Malaysia’s Chef de Mission at the 2001 SEA Games.

His remains will be taken to Masjid Al-Ehsan, Kelana Jaya tomorrow morning for funeral prayers before being laid to rest at the Islamic Cemetery in Section 9, Kota Damansara.

-- BERNAMA