KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 ― He is a man in a hurry having worked his way into several key positions at various sports bodies.
Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria, who is expected to challenge for the BA of Malaysia’s (BAM) top post, has been involved in badminton for a long time.
Although efforts to get him to agree to an interview proved futile, he is usually media-friendly and shares a good rapport with reporters.
President of Kuala Lumpur BA since 2010, he was brought into BAM by acting president Tan Sri Mohammed Al Amin Abdul Majid in 2012.
It came three years after the former Umno supreme council member was erroneously charged on two counts of money politics.
Now he look sets to lock horns with his former mentor, after claiming he has a “gentleman’s agreement” with current BAM president Tan Sri Tengku Mahaleel Tengku Ariff, BAM patron Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
He told The Star last week: “It’s not so much about the gentleman’s agreement dictating things, it’s about the tradition in BAM.
“In the past, we’ve always agreed to one candidate before heading for the election. This is to avoid people taking sides, bickering and causing disunity.”
Crucially, Norza admitted Al Amin was not party of the deal.
He was the Malaysian chef de mission at the Singapore 2015 SEA Games in June before being elected deputy president of Olympic Council of Malaysia two months later.
Norza is also the chairman of the National Sports Institute, was a treasurer for the Football Association of Malaysia, Exco Member for the Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation and Council Member for the Federal Territories Sports Council and president of the Putra Polo Club.
