This is George Tan he is the president of the Malaysian Professional Dancesport Council (MPDC). He is also the only qualified Chairman of adjudicator in Malaysia. Let me tell you something about him, don't mess with him as far as Dancesport is concerned. At the Lake Club ranking competition, of the 12 semi finalist I think almost 70 per cent of the Dancesport Athletes should be disqualified.
Now you chaps think that I am joking or smirking over my statement. I think all you Grade A athletes who breached the rules have the Sports Director to thank. You do not know what is happening behind the scene and you know how difficult it is to plead to George Tan when the IDSF law is on his side.
Most of you know about the dress regulations stuff like making sure the 2 bra cups are not more than 5 cm and the under garment cannot be skin colour. How many of you know that if you want to change your costumes in a competition you need to inform and seek the permission of the Chairman of adjudicator? How many of you had sought his permission, according to George Tan, none of you MPDC/IDSF members Grade A did that. No respect for him as Chairman of Adjudicators for the event.
George Tan lectured me that the IDSF regulation was passed many years ago at the 2006 IDSF AGM. At the last IDSF Chairperson Congress in Stuttgart this flouting of the dress regulation has reached such a critical point that Heinz Spaeker the IDSF Sports Director made it clear on the following.
There will no longer be a first warning to change of costume that are in breach of the rules. The chairperson of the competition are NOT obliged to give any warnings. The Chairperson can disqualify a couple immediately in case of a breach of the IDSF Dress Regulations.
If you wish to change your costume, it is now obligatory that couples seek the permission of the Chairperson and that the Chairpersons accepts that the new costumes conform with the dress regulations. It is no fun being lectured by a man who sport an army style hair cut like George Tan, look at his face, you don't mess with a person like him. I had to plead with him and he told me that this is an IDSF run competition , he is not answerable to anyone except his conscience. His conscience is clear. Finally after much pleading he decided to tell me off, that as Sports Director I should know or ought to have known the rules. George Tan referred me to Dancesport Today 3/2007 at page 3.
He warned that he will let me go this time and will take my plea as a requests by all you dancers for permission to change of costumes. Phew! what a relief. Now why is he so strict? George explained that Dancesport is now admitted in the Olympic Family Games but not in the Olympic Games yet. If you athletes keep flouting the rules who suffers, the whole Dancesport community in IDSF suffers.
Now you see why you dancers have to buy me dinner and thank me. Now it is my turn to warn all of you, Dancesport is a Sport. So don't play play okay? You are in MPDC and we follow only IDSF rules, you want to go for the Games respect the rules of IDSF. There is no compromise on this.
MALAYSIAN DANCESPORT BERHAD
(276051-h)
Mr. Peter Ong,
Organizer 15th April, 2009
Dear Sir,
Re: Competition to be held at Royal Lake Club on 25th April, 2009
We refer to the above, we have been informed that you are the organizer of the above event and have further been informed that MDSB’s logo and name have been used in conjunction with this event.
Please note that MDSB has not allowed you to use the Association logo or name.
Kindly confirm that you will forthwith remove all material which uses the Association logo and name and that you undertake not to use the same further. In the event the information we have received is incorrect please let us know.
In the event we do not have your reply within 48 hours, we shall take all necessary action including and not limited to obtaining an injunction from the court against the event.
Thank you for your co-operation.
Yours sincerely
George PC Lim
President.
Okay some of you have written to me telling me that you wanted to have sight of the letter from MDSB to The Dancespace. The above picture file is the letter and just in case you cannot read the contents I have taken the liberty to copy and paste the contents in red.
Now being put in a situation what can The Dancespace do, but to remove in accordance to the instructions in the letter. It was during that time The 2nd National ranking was in a twilight zone and The Dancespace had no choice but to seek guidance from MPDC. Since this is a Malaysian ranking and by virtue of the fact that MPDC is registered as a Sports Body, MPDC can conduct a National ranking and accordingly endorsed and sanction the event.
This is not the way to treat another sport body and to say the least the conduct of MDSB is very unsporting and highly political. I somehow do not know if that is the correct words to use. The Dancespace Peter Ong is a member of MDSB, as a member he sought their endorsement and sanction to run the competition at the National level. Mr. Peter Ong also did mentioned that if MDSB cannot grant ranking at National level, at least just endorse and sanction the competition. Instead of replying to him, they told him in no uncertain terms to remove anything that is linked to MDSB within 48 hours or else threat of legal action and injunction.
We in MPDC are extremely grateful to Singapore Dancesport Federation ( SGDF) for lending us the SGDF Pro Dance program for scrutineering. We had no choice for MDSB are the owners of their own IDSF Pro Dance program and we do not want The Dancespace to be sued.
Why is MDSB so hostile to its members? Why is MDSB so hostile to MPDC? When they dispute the joint ranking why did MDSB not reply to MPDC President George Tan letter seeking for an explanation? Why?
I do not want to speculate why, but all I care to say is this, MDSB is a member of Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM). They are a member by virtue of their recognition by IDSF as the sole representative of Dancesport in Malaysia. That is a powerful position if you want to go for the Olympic Family Games like the SEA or Asian Games and others.
You see when you have power and you cannot use your power responsibly it can corrupt the soul and mind. There is a saying by a great jurist " Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely". So the scepter to rule Dancesport in Malaysia has suddenly turn into a feather duster. This is when IDSF who are watching the scenario that is being played out in Malaysia and they decide to act. All said you the readers decide whether they deserve what they got.
The story do not end there, there is another body besides MDSB that are working to sabotage the 2nd Malaysian Ranking. This story have the trapping of drama and all elements of a suspense story. That will be another story for another day.
P.S. The letter above dated the 15th April 2009 was sent by email to Mr. Peter Ong, that was the reason why it was not signed, the picture of the letter was enhanced but the contents are verified to be the contents in the letter.
This is George Tan he is the president of the Malaysian Professional Dancesport Council (MPDC). He is also the only qualified Chairman of adjudicator in Malaysia. Let me tell you something about him, don't mess with him as far as Dancesport is concerned. At the Lake Club ranking competition, of the 12 semi finalist I think almost 70 per cent of the Dancesport Athletes should be disqualified.
