FEBRUARY 10 — As I watched Ola Bola with my family the other day, I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sadness.

Gone were the great glory days of Malaysian football, and together with it, the spirit of a Malaysian team.

Of course we do have present greats the likes of Nicol David (squash), Lee Chong Wei (badminton), Safuan Said (lawn bowl) and the latest sensation, Azizulhasni (cycling). 

But unlike football, these are individual sports. Maybe this is a sign of an individualistically inclined society — too much politics is involved when we intend to achieve a collective good and therefore it makes more sense to achieve greatness alone than together.

As a kid, I grew up listening to the radio — each time the names of Soh Chin Aun, Santokh Singh and Mokhtar Dahari were mentioned, my heart swelled with pride. 

We were a great nation despite all the modern-day shortcomings. If pride can be measured, probably our pride back then is taller than the Petronas Twin Towers and longer than all the Maggi mee in the world tied together to break into Malaysia’s Book of Records.

When my wife asked me what caused our decline, I was lost for words. I paused. I do not have the answer.

The only thing that struck my mind was that, back then, you have access to the English education system — a system that seems acceptable to multiracial Malaysia, rich and poor. 

You didn’t really have to be rich to send your kids to English school back then. My grandmother managed to send my mother and her siblings to an English oriented school in Penang, despite being poor.

Make no mistake. I am not saying without English, we cannot succeed. All I am saying is, today there is a void in our education system. We do not have an education system acceptable to all.

Hence, the divide continues as the present-day Santokh Singhs, Soh Chin Auns and Mokhtar Daharis go to different schools, depending on their wealth, skin colour, and religion. 

Hence, our decline, as a Malaysian team.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.