Silat Federation president promises ‘uphill’ trajectory

After leading the Singapore Silat Federation (SSF) as president from 2000 to 2016, Abdullah Shafiie Mohamed Sidik had been content watching the sport thrive under the stewardship of the next generation.

But over the last year, he has felt “hurt and saddened” by the negative headlines surrounding the sport.

Responding to calls from the silat fraternity, the 65-year-old decided to return and help steer the organisation back on course.

On Oct 7, he was confirmed as the president for at least a two-year term, after being elected unopposed along with eight appointment holders and committee members during its annual general meeting (AGM) on Sept 28.

In an interview with The Straits Times at his Bedok home on Oct 16, Abdullah shared openly about his plans, adding that the board is already hard at work charting a new path for SSF, focusing on the rejuvenation of Singapore silat.

Abdullah, a Public Service Star recipient in 2019 and a veteran grassroots leader, said: “I was very sad in the last two years when I heard and read about what was happening in silat.

“People would come up to me and ask, ‘What happened to SSF?’, assuming that I was still there. You feel hurt by the questions too. Recently the situation got so bad, there was infighting and there were even quarrels in the AGM.”

To steady the ship, he decided to make a comeback as he wants “silat to be respected again”.

With the backing of those in the fraternity, Abdullah, who has remained active in the scene as president of the Singapore Kemuning Society, a full member of SSF, stepped up to provide some stability to the scene that had been rocked by bad news.

Trouble began in February 2023, when SSF filed a police report against its finance director, following allegations of irregular salary payments to some coaches. He was then suspended before leaving in March.

SSF said then that it was told by national agency Sport Singapore that there were irregularities in its financial practices.

Last November, SSF’s former chief executive Sheik Alau’ddin Yacoob Marican, a two-time world champion and four-time Coach of the Year who is synonymous with the sport here, was arrested for suspected criminal breach of trust.

Investigations are still ongoing and since December 2023, an interim management team appointed by SportSG and the Singapore National Olympic Council have been managing SSF’s daily operations.

In Sheik’s absence, the Sept 28 AGM was surrounded by drama, with several members disqualified from participating in the AGM and some individuals disqualified from contesting the elections.

Top of Abdullah’s to-do list is to fix the constitution, which he said has “many weaknesses”, and make the rules clear for all members.

Secondly, he wants a better selection process when it comes to choosing athletes to represent the country in competitions.

He said the coaching team had been doing the selection, with the previous board approving it “without much thought”. This had led to accusations of favouritism.

“We have had feedback that the selection process was not transparent. So I’m going to form a selection committee, who will get the recommendation from the coaches before making the decision,” he said.

Abdullah said he will also be reviewing its panel of eight coaches, adding that there is a need for quality and not quantity.

He has also found that the association “spends lavishly”, while sending “too many” athletes and officials for overseas competitions.

“We have to control, because we are using government funds. So when you spend public money, you must ensure it’s beneficial. It cannot be a case of ‘I know you, you know me, so we all go’,” he said.

Other items on his agenda include grooming young leaders for SSF, raising funds and uniting a fractured community – all of which he admitted will be difficult.

But Abdullah is determined and confident that he will be able to handle it.

He said: “I have been there (at SSF) for many years and I know (what it takes). I will do better. I want silat to go uphill, not downhill. My team and I, we will build back silat as a positive force for sport, our community and culture.”

Meanwhile, on the competition front, SSF’s athletes have continued to garner medals.

At the 2024 Asian Pencak Silat Championships in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, from Oct 7 to 16, Singapore’s athletes clinched four gold, seven silver and 10 bronze medals to finish third in the overall championship, behind Malaysia (8-5-2) and Indonesia (12-0-2).