The OCM Mourns The Passing of Dato’ Sieh Kok Chi

The President, Executive Board and Management of the OCM express their deepest condolences to the family members of Dato’ Sieh Kok Chi, who passed away peacefully on Saturday, 16th July 2022, at the age of 83.

Education
Dato’ Sieh Kok Chi was the alumni of Batu Road School Kuala Lumpur (1946-1951) and Victoria Institution Kuala Lumpur (1952-1958). He had graduated from the University of Malaya in 1963 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) Degree. He had also attended a course in Engineering Hydrology at the University of New South Wales, Australia in 1971.

Profession
Dato’ Sieh Kok Chi was a qualified civil engineer, specializing in drainage, irrigation and water resources. He had served the Drainage and Irrigation Department of Malaysia for 26 years, from March 1963 till April 1989. He was then seconded to the National Sports Council of Malaysia as an advisor to the Organising Committee of the 15th SEA Games Kuala Lumpur 1989 from May 1989 till his retirement from the public services on 31st December 1990.

Olympic Movement
Dato’ Sieh Kok Chi had contributed tremendously towards the Olympic Movement in Malaya/Malaysia for more than six (6) decades.

He was an athlete, having represented Malaya/Malaysia in Water Polo from 1960 to 1970. He had also participated in three (3) South East Asian Peninsular Games (SEAP Games) and one (1) Asian Games under the jurisdiction of OCM as follows:

1. 3rd SEAP Games Kuala Lumpur 1965 – Silver Medal
2. 4th SEAP Games Bangkok 1967 – Silver Medal
3. 5th SEAP Games Rangoon 1969 – Silver Medal
4. 6th Asian Games Bangkok 1970 – 3rd Placing (Group B )

He was actively involved in the coaching of Water Polo at the Chin Woo Swimming Pool located at Jalan Davidson (now known as Jalan Hang Jebat), where he had contributed to the development of Water Polo at the grassroot level by producing a number of great Water Polo players for the national team in the 1970s and 1980s.

He was also elected to serve as the Honorary Secretary of the Selangor Amateur Swimming Association (SASA) from 1971 to 1974 and the Honorary Secretary of the Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (ASUM) from 1974 to 1982.

He had volunteered his services to the OCM for almost five (5) decades from 1974 till 2022. He had served in various Committees and Task Forces within the OCM before being elected as the Honorary Secretary of the OCM in 1992. He held the portfolio of Honorary Secretary for 22 years from 1992 to 2013. When the OCM amended its Constitution to rename the position of “Honorary Secretary” to “Secretary General” in 2013, he was elected as Secretary General for the term of 2013-2015, making him the only person in the history of the OCM who had held the positions of Honorary Secretary and Secretary General. As part of his transition plan, he stood and was elected as the Assistant Secretary General of OCM for the term of 2015-2018. He was also the first individual who had been appointed as an Honorary Member of the OCM after his retirement as an Office Bearer of the OCM since 2018.

During his tenure as the Honorary Secretary/Secretary General of OCM:

Chef de Mission
He was appointed as the Chef de Mission of the Malaysian Contingent to the 20th SEA Games Brunei Darussalam 1999, where the Malaysian Contingent under his leadership won 57 golds, 46 silvers and 42 bronze, with a total of 145 medals, to rank second in the overall medal tally behind Thailand.

South East Asian Games Federation (SEAGF)
He was one of the official delegates of the OCM in the Council of the South East Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) before being appointed as an Honorary Member of the SEAGF since 2001.

Olympic Council of Asia (OCA)
He was one of the official delegates of the OCM to attend the General Assemblies of the OCA. He was also appointed as a Member of the OCA Sports Committee (2007-2015) and OCA Sports for All Committee (2015-2017).

Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF)
He was one of the official delegates of the Commonwealth Games Association of Malaysia (CGA Malaysia) to attend the General Assemblies of the CGF.

Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC)
He was one of the official delegates of the OCM to attend the General Assemblies of the ANOC.

Multi-Sport Games
Dato’ Sieh Kok Chi, was well known as “Mr. OCM” or “Living Encyclopedia of OCM” to everyone who knows him very well, for his wide experience and knowledge in Multi-Sport Games. He was involved in the preparation of the Malaysian Contingents to all the Multi-Sport Games under the jurisdiction of OCM namely SEA Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games since 1971. He was also involved as a Member of the Organising Committee when Malaysia was hosting the SEA Games in 1977, 1989, 2001 and 2017 and the Commonwealth Games in 1998.

His experience and knowledge were also highly recognised internationally. He had been appointed as Honorary Advisor to the SEA Games Organizing Committee by six (6) NOCs as follows:

1. Philippines (1989 to 1991) for the 16th SEA Games Manila 1991;
2. Brunei Darussalam (1998 to 1991) for the 20th SEA Games Brunei Darussalam 1999;
3. Vietnam (2001 to 2003) for the 22nd SEA Games Vietnam 2003;
4. Laos (2005 to 2009) for the 25th SEA Games Laos 2009;
5. Myanmar (2012 to 2013) for the 27th SEA Games Myanmar 2013;
6. Cambodia (2018 to 2023) for the 32nd SEA Games Cambodia 2023.

Olympic Solidarity
Dato’ Sieh Kok Chi had initiated a number of Olympic Solidarity programmes in Malaysia namely the Sport Administrators Course (SAC), Advanced Sport Management Course (ASMC), Technical Course for Coaches (TCC), International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Programme (ICECP) and many others. He had also been appointed by the Olympic Solidarity as the Continental Coordinator (Asia) for the SAC.

Awards
Dato’ Sieh Kok Chi had received a number of awards in recognition of his contributions towards the development of sports as well as the Olympic Movement in Malaysia and internationally as follows:

1. Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang (D.I.M.P.) by KDYMM Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’azzam Shah which carries the title of Dato’ on Tuesday, 24th October 2000;

2. IOC Trophy 2001 “Sport and Volunteers” Award by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in recognition of his contribution as a volunteer, development of sport and Olympism, and the promotion of friendship and solidarity among peoples on Friday, 9th November 2001;

3. Merit Certificate by the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Right Honourable Phan Van Khai on Thursday, 18th November 2004, in recognition of his contribution towards the success of the organisation of the 22nd SEA Games Vietnam 2003;

4. Labor Merit Medal by the Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Right Honorable Thongsing Thammavong on Thursday, 3rd February 2011, in recognition of his contribution towards the success of the organisation of the 25th SEA Games Laos 2009;

5. The BrandLaureate Grand Master Brand ICON Leadership Award 2015 by The World Brands Foundation (TWBF) on Tuesday, 10th February 2015;

6. Sport Leadership Award 2018 presented by KDYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVI Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah on Tuesday, 23rd April 2019;

7. Induction into the OCM Hall of Fame by the President of OCM, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri (Dr.) Mohamad Norza Zakaria on Wednesday,19th December 2019;

8. “Tokoh Sukan” Award 2019/2020 presented by KDYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVI Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah on Tuesday, 22nd March 2022.

Legacies
Dato’ Sieh Kok Chi had left behind incredible legacies for the OCM and his most significant legacies are as follows:

1. Strengthened the administration of the OCM by the establishment of the administrative structure with salary scheme;

2. Initiated the OCM Annual Dinner and Awards Night, the Olympian of the Year Awards, the OCM Hall of Fame and the IOC Trophy Awards since 1993;

3. Developed the Sponsorship and Marketing Program of the OCM;

4. Initiated the establishment of the Tan Sri Alex Lee Athletes’ Education Fund in 1999 in remembrance of the former Vice President of OCM, Tan Sri Alex Lee, which is worth around RM 1,700,000.00 today;

5. Strengthened the financial status of the OCM and the establishment of the OCM Trust Fund, which is worth around RM 22,000,000.00 today;

6. Introduced the “B Category” funding and reimbursement policy for the participation in the Multi-Sport Games under the jurisdiction of OCM;

7. Planned and constructed the Wisma OCM (completed in 1991) and the OCM Indoor Sports Complex (completed in 2004) which worth over RM 100,000,000.00 today;

8. Successfully bidded and organised the XVI Commonwealth Games Kuala Lumpur 1998, from 11th to 21st September 1998, in Kuala Lumpur;

9. Successfully bidded and organised the XIII ANOC General Assembly, from 22nd to 24th May 2002, in Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur;

10. Successfully bidded and organised the 12th IOC World Sport for All Congress, from 3rd to 6th November 2008, in Genting Highlands;

11. Successfully bidded and organised the 128th IOC Session, from 30th July to 3rd August 2015, in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

The passing of Dato’ Sieh Kok Chi is indeed a great loss to the sporting fraternity and the Olympic Movement in Malaysia.

May the soul of Dato’ Sieh Kok Chi rest in peace.
Tuesday, 19th July 2022