Karim: FAM and police should have been better prepared

September 1, 2014

‘FAM, cops should have been better prepared for any untoward incident’ - Tuan Haji Abdul Karim Rahmah Hamzah

The burnt police vehicle.

KUCHING: Police have caught five youths for allegedly sparking a riot at the State Stadium here on Saturday shortly after the Sarawak-Perak Malaysia Cup match ended 1-1.

Eleven people, including five policemen, were hurt in the mayhem that resulted in seven police vehicles damaged, including one overturned and another burnt.

Four of the six females, aged between six and 15, who were hurt while helping to man their family stalls. The other two were spectators.

The five male suspects, aged between 17 and 20 are now placed under remand until Sept 4. Two of them are from here and the rest from Samarahan.

Insiden rusuhan amat mendukacitakan: Karim

September 1, 2014

KUCHING: Insiden keganasan atau rusuhan bola sepak yang berlaku ketika perlawanan antara Sarawak dan Perak di Stadium Negeri malam kelmarin adalah suatu yang amat mendukacitakan.

Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia (Bandar), Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah berkata kejadian tersebut tidak sepatutnya berlaku dan berpendapat seorang penyokong yang bertanggungjawab sepatutnya bijak mengawal perasaan dan emosi.

Justeru, beliau menyatakan tindakan merusuh dan merosakkan harta benda awam (vandalisme) merupakan suatu kesalahan yang serius dan pihak yang bertanggungjawab melakukannya dikenakan tindakan sewajarnya.

Khairy’s appointment augurs well for S’wak

May 19, 2013

KUCHING: The appointment of Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar as the Minister of Youth and Sports would enable the state to strengthen further its coordination with the federal government to ensure the state is not left behind in the planning of programmes and projects development.

Assistant Minister of Youth Development Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah who knows the national Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth chief personally, believed that the state could overcome many development issues with Khairy at the helm.

“The appointment of Khairy as the Minister of Youth and Sports is spot on considering that he, being an UMNO and BN Youth chief, is still young. Being a person in his 30s, I see him as a minister who is pro-active and healthy which makes him very qualified to lead and bring the goals of youth development in this country to a higher level.

“Furthermore, I can see that he is a person who loves sports. His appointment would enable the country to meet the aspiration and needs of the youth in this country,” he told reporters when met before the start of the Dewan Usahawan Bumiputera Sarawak (DUBS) Kuching branch annual general meeting at the Youth and Sports complex here yesterday.

When asked if there were any major programmes and development planning that the state would immediately focus on following the new appointment, Karim said all existing programmes in both the urban and rural areas would be continued.

He pointed out that various youth and sporting programmes were being organised throughout the year and expected these activities to be enhanced further, considering the already strong working relations between the state Youth and Sports Department with its federal counterpart.

Khairy, 37, is a former Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) deputy president II. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University, United Kingdom and a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory from the University College London.

Karim: FAM kalis teguran

May 9, 2012

“FAM (Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia) sepa­tutnya bersedia menerima teguran atau kritikan dalam usaha membangunkan sukan bola sepak di negara ini,” kata Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia Sarawak, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

Beliau berkata demi­kian ketika mengulas kenya­taan Presiden FAM, Sultan Ahmad Shah kelmarin yang meminta penyokong bola sepak meneliti dan memahami undang-undang badan induk itu terlebih dahulu sebelum mengeluarkan sebarang kenyataan.

Karim yang dipetik menerusi Utusan Borneo Online berkata, sekiranya badan bola sepak negara itu tidak boleh ditegur, maka banyak pihak yang tidak akan berpuas hati.

“Saya tidak khuatir dengan pandangan Presiden FAM (Sultan Ahmad Shah), namun tindakan Jawatankuasa Tatatertib FAM perlu lebih beretika bagi mengelak menge­luarkan keputusan tidak munasabah, kejam, keterlaluan dan tidak membina untuk sukan ­­bola sepak.

“Malah, presidennya sendiri harus bersedia menerima kritikan. Seseorang presiden badan seperti FAM bukannya above the board dan tidak boleh ditegur,” katanya.

Dalam pada itu, Presiden FAS, Datuk Sudarsono Osman berkata, pihaknya tetap menggunakan saluran diplomatik untuk menyelesaikan kemelut yang menimpa persatuan itu setelah didenda RM75,500 oleh FAM.

Do we Sarawakians look foolish to you?

May 8, 2012

KUCHING: The FA of Malaysia (FAM) should be more open in accepting criticism and comments from others so that it can further uplift the standard of football in Malaysia.

Assistant Youth Development Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the football governing body would only create more adversaries if it closed its doors to views from others.

“I am not too concerned with the views of the FAM president (Sultan Ahmad Shah), but the actions of the FAM disciplinary committee should be more ethical to avoid making decisions which are unreasonable, cruel, overzealous and killing the sport of football.

“Despite this, the president of FAM must be ready to accept criticisms. A president of a governing body like FAM is not above the board and not a person who cannot be reprimanded,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.

Abdul Karim, also Asajaya assemblyman, was making his comments on a national daily report yesterday which quoted Sultan Ahmad Shah as branding the move by Sarawak fans to urge FA of Sarawak (FAS) to withdraw from FAM as foolish.

Sultan Ahmad Shah had also urged football fans and fan clubs to understand the FAM’s laws and regulations first before calling for the withdrawal of its affiliates.

Prior to this, FAM had imposed fines totalling RM75,500 on FAS because of unruly behaviour by fans, as well as penalising the state football team to play the upcoming four home matches behind closed doors. It was not the first time FAM has heavily penalised those who have criticised the governing body, referee and the national team, as well as for making comments in the media.

‘Draconian judgement an insult to Sarawakians’

May 1, 2012

KUCHING: The recent decision by Football Association Malaysia (FAM) to fine Football Association of Sarawak (FAS) of nearly RM80,000 together with four home games behind closed doors is widely seen as draconian and a horrendous judgment.

In fact, the action by FAM was an act of mental torture to the Sarawak fans and an effort that will not bring positive impact to football in Malaysia.

Assistant Minister of Youth Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who pointed this out when asked to comment on the matter said he was unsure if the FAM disciplinary committee was relying on one source or had watched videos of the incident from various angles.

“FAM decision is unjustified, not helpful in sports development and is an insult to the people of Sarawak,” he said to The Borneo Post yesterday.

“It is better for us to ‘withdraw ourselves’ from being played and directed around by those (FAM) who had no respect for the people of Sarawak,” Karim added.

Karim suggested that FAS study several options, such as playing in other leagues such as the Singapore League, or continue playing in FAM organised competitions.

On the same subject, Karim, who is also Assistant Minister of Housing urged the Federal Government to monitor the action of not just FAM but also other sports related governing bodies.

‘FAM dera rakyat Sarawak’

April 30, 2012

KUCHING: Keputusan Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia (FAM) mendenda Persatuan Bola Sepak Sarawak (FAS) dilihat sebagai satu tindakan yang tidak akan membawa sebarang kebaikan kepada sukan bola sepak negara.

Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah menyifatkan tindakan Jawatankuasa Disiplin FAM yang mengenakan denda hampir RM80,000 ke atas FAS selain memaksa Sarawak bermain tanpa penyokong di gelanggang sendiri umpama ‘mendera’ rakyat negeri ini.

“Saya kurang pasti sama ada Jawatakuasa Disiplin FAM ada melihat rakaman tentang apa yang berlaku atau hanya mendengar daripada sebelah pihak sahaja.

“Keputusan FAM kejam, tidak membantu memajukan sukan, satu deraan dan penghinaan kepada rakyat Sarawak,” demikian menurut beliau kepada Utusan Borneo di sini, semalam.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas tentang tindakan FAM yang mendenda FAS sebanyak dua kali dengan jumlah dendaan yang mencecah RM75,500 selain terpaksa bermain dalam stadium kosong tanpa penyokong untuk empat perlawanan yanga akan datang di gelanggang sendiri.

Menurut Karim, FAS harus mengkaji sedalam-dalamnya perkara tersebut, sama ada Sarawak wajar terus melibatkan diri dalam liga anjuran FAM ataupun meningkatkan prestij Liga Borneo melibatkan Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei, Kalimantan Barat (Kalbar), Kalimantan Timur (Kaltim) dan Labuan.

“Lebih baik kita menarik diri sahaja daripada dipermainkan oleh mereka yang tidak menghormati kita,” tegas beliau.