Just about a month after watching the Millenium Falcon flying for the first time in 30 years, I was mesmerised by a local movie that was released last week. I have been watching their promotion on TV and listening to them on radio over the last 2-3 months but I must admit that I never expected the film to be so well done and nostalgic. “Ola Bola” is a movie that must be watched by all Malaysians. It shows what this country was, 30 years ago.
The movie shows how great our football team was in 1970s and early 1980s. I was in primary school then and names like
“Spiderman” Arumugam, Mokhtar Dahari, Santokh Singh, Hassan Sani, Shukor Salleh, Soh Chin Aun, James Wong etc were household names. Our rivals were South Korea and Japan. We were the best team in SEA and one of the best in Asia. What happened? South Korea and Japan have reached World Cup and we are still struggling to even win SEA tournaments. The answer : “politics”.
When I went to watch the movie yesterday, the theatre was full house. It was a mixed racial crowd. Interesting to see for the first time a Malaysian movie being watched by all races sitting together. It is a multiracial movie which shows the lifestyle during the 1970s. Multiple languages are spoken but mainly English and Malay. Subtitles are in 3 languages. I must admit it is a movie of high quality. Every detail was well planned and captured. We can see old radios, old black & white TV, old houses, old cars and even old motorbikes. Even dressing and hair styles follow the 1980s era. I really don’t know where they got all the items from. It’s really nostalgic!
Despite having new actors and actresses, the movie was well made. Some moments may really give you goosebumps and may even give you some tears. It reflected how Malaysia was during those days. All races getting together and celebrating the achievement of the country. A multiracial football team that was the best we have ever had. I grew up during those era and I must say it is sad to see what we have become. Racial politics, first engineered by Dr M since 1981 is the reason why we are in current situation. Sports, education, Universities, public service were all politicised to the extend that everything should be controlled by a single race. That was DR M’s philosophy which he has publicly said and written in his book. Every sports association and education centres are now run by politicians!
The football scenes of the movie was well choreographed. I really don’t know how they actually did it. It was like watching a real football match. Some dialogues can be a bit draggy but that is expected from new actors who was chosen based on whether they can play football! I would not reveal much of the story to avoid spoilers but suffice to say that the movie is not just a football movie but it tells us a story of what type of country we were, at one time. Will we ever reach that status again with all the racial and religious politics being played around over the last 25 years?
The ending was really impressive! Don’t forget to sit through the end credits where they will show you all the old pictures of our football greats. For the first time, audiences actually clapped/cheered at the end of the movie!! I only see that in Rajini Kanth’s movie!
Well done to Chiu (the director, a Batu Pahat boy) and the production crew. Every Malaysian should see this movie, including our politicians!
Pagalavan's Avatar 
Yes Dr Paga,they were giants in SEA an Asia back then and the memories of them still lingers on!.Malaysia were at the throes for greatness,equal or better the likes of Singapore and Korea economically but somehow politics get in the way.Sad real real sad!
Before leaving the cinema, an elderly Malay lady sitting next me said she wonder why not throwing the show to the politicians. They are the one who need to sit in together watching the movie … Sadly, those were days, we played together!
”Sports, education, Universities, public service were all politicised to the extend that everything should be controlled by a single race.”
Why should you mention this..?? are you trying to instill hatred toward other races and creates disharmony in Msia..? ask yourself which races top the richest 40 malaysian list..?? how many building in KL controlled by a single race alone..?? Malaysian live peacefully for the past 50 years but people like you lately keep writing and fuelling others to hate toward the other races..
A fact is a fact whether you like it or not. Why should you deny it in the first place? People who work hard will become rich. Did they steal from anyone? The fact remains that we went down the hill due to racial policies . No, it is not people like us causing disharmony . It is the politicians !! Get what is being said?
Hatred towards racism does NOT equal to hatred towards a certain race. Just like loyalty to the country/nation does NOT Equal to loyalty to the governing party or the politicians. Anyway whatever special right that you are enjoying only feel ‘special’ because of the 30% of NOT special people in the country. I bet you won’t feel special when everyone in the country has special right because there is less than 5% of NOT special people left!
Were you saying that Social Contract @ special rights which is part of the Constitution article 153 is a racist policies..?? then I guess Tun Sambanthan and Tun Tan Cheng Lock were wrong to have agreed with that policies 50 years ago… and to Dr Paga… ”racial policies”..?? if I am not mistaken.. you are currently practising medicine in Msia right..? how could you practice medicine in Msia if the policies are so that racist…? it is okay for you to hate the government and politicians… but dont blame it on the policies and constitution… it is the government who govern it the wrong way.. interpret it however you like… but some of the words mention in this article is a bit seditious and would in some other way causing disharmony within our multiracial society (I hope it won’t). thank you…
I think before barking for wrong reasons , you should read the article carefully before jumping to conclusion . Did i say anything about constitution and country? I said it very clearly that it is the politicians who created the mess we are in now!! I said racial politics and NOT racial policies!!
And if you don’t know me personally ,please refrain yourself from commenting on what i do. You do not know what i have to go throu to become a doctor!!
Dear “Peace”
Why are you defensive ? Is it because of you feel that you are so inferior that you need to lash out at issues that are true? Do you deny that the heads of most government bodies are not those who have qualification but kulitfication ? Please change your mentality. Dr paga is just mentioning how things were and could have been for our country if our leaders were not so short sighted and value race over quality. You have the audacity to insult this man who has given the better part of his life to serve our people. I am a doctor in the goverment service myself and I understand the sacrifices he made. Time, energy and not to mention money to pay for post graduate studies all so that we may be better doctors to serve the Rakyat. That includes you. I don’t hate the government. I just don’t agree with what they do most times. So get your thinking right or forever be a frog underneath the coconut.
Dear Sebastian.. answer me honestly.. what do you feel after reading this…”Sports, education, Universities, public service were all politicised to the extend that everything should be controlled by a single race…” and what will be your impression towards that ”single race” (I assume that you are not from that single race) after this… ? If you feel nothing, then I was wrong… thank you…
Well paid cybertrooper. Every where can see scum like this. Guess the BRIM not enough for them to survive thus taking 2nd job, but only easy job like this.
I am refering my threads to “peace” the BN cybertrooper…
Dear peace
How we feel when we read that “EVERYTHING should be controlled by a single race” is no different with what you feel when you heard about “which race dominated the top 40 richest list” and “how many buildings in KL is controlled by a single race” mentioned in the UMNO assembly.
I think I am not exaggerating in saying that the fate of the non-Malay is solely in the hands of the Malay. With the slower growth rate and outward migration we will very soon be no longer political relevant in this racial politics of Malaysia. By then I reckon the outward migration of the non-Malay populations will be even faster and larger. If you think and vote along this racial line then there will be no way we can turn this tide. You don’t need to UMNO to protect your Ketuanan. It is already firmly in your hand. Thus I don’t see how DAP is going to hold on to the power in Penang in the next term unless the Malays in Penang can see beyond racial politics.
Looking at the trend, Malaysia will be a predominantly monoracial society in the future. Hence I pointed out the irony of your special status which is only relevant if you have a multiracial population. The non-Malays can demand anything they like but it is solely up to you how much of it you want to let go. But in the end it doesn’t matter because once the population is made up >90% Malays you won’t feel like you are that special after all.
Well may be the hope of this country will be better if it eventually becomes a monoracial society because by then UMNO will have no racial card to play. PKR will no longer have to convince you that letting go the Malay special right is good for the society. Even DAP may be able to be in power because it will be led by the Malays.
Both BN and DAP also play racial card. Racial issue exists, but if both side are sincere, the issue can be dealt better. But since both politician play it like a religion game, the issue that should be settled, never been settled. Cant blame just BN, DAP also at fault.
Sincere? So who is the ruling party for more than half a century? Every cybertrooper will try to say give BN a chance, DAP also at fault, PKR also like that, no need change or blablabla. Put it in simple way, if you are the manager of a company, and your performance sucks, the board of directors wanna sack you, would you say someone worse than me/ give another chance blablabla?
Dr Paga, don’t waste time in engaging argument with the extreme. It is this sort of mentality that has turned the country into current state. The culprits including what you have mentioned and present administration should feel shameful after watching said movie. It has been a regression for the country. Sad.
Whatever policies sidelining non-Malays are soon not a big issue as the non-Malay ratio population already tremendously drops. Most of the young non-Malay elite are in planning and migrating to greener pastures. In order to retain/support the “special privilege” system, this country needs to import more & more migrants. It is not surprising at all for government importing 1.5 million Bangladeshis to our country. So, we should be familiar and accustomed to our new friends: Bangladeshi, Indonesians and Filipino. Perhaps in future, we have a new formation of “Ola Bola” team. Cheers! Ciẏārsa!