“How can the dead be truly dead when they still live in the souls of those who are left behind?” – Carson McCullers, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
As news of Ah Wa’s passing started spreading everywhere yesterday, Selangor defender S. Subramaniam took to Facebook to publicly pay tribute to the man who spent a large chunk of his life supporting the Perak football team as well as the Malaysian national team.
The written tribute featured a mini anecdote about an incident that happened sometime back, when Steve Darby was in charge of the Seladangs. After an away game against Pahang, the entire squad found Ah Wa all alone in the stadium, completely clueless on how to get himself back to Ipoh. Steve Darby went on to invite Ah Wa to stay at the team hotel, before tagging along on the team bus’ journey back to Ipoh, the next morning.
The beauty of this anecdote lies in various forms and interpretations, especially the fact that Steve himself was such a humble coach to go out of his way to help a fan. But the bigger piece of this tells you a story that most Perak fans are well accustomed with by now. Ah Wa was always there for his team, regardless of any obstacles – be it time, money or even transportation. He was never ashamed to ask for a lift, he was never hesistant to ask if anyone was willing to buy him a bus ticket to Kota Bharu, or if any fan clubs were willing to ferry him over to Alor Setar. Ah Wa always made an effort to be there for his team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJva_E8lCjQ
When the Malaysian hockey team travelled to Singapore for the FIH Hockey World League in 2015, Ah Wa huffed and puffed to get himself across the causeway. His unbriddled passion – unsurprisingly – even caught the eye of national hockey legend Dato’ Mirnawan Nawawi. When the Malaysian football scene was hit with a major corruption scandal in 1994, Ah Wa was one of the few guys who continued supporting the national squad, without ever losing faith.
Even when Perak FA consistently flunked as a result of various elements, including sheer incompetency, Ah Wa was always there at every home game, and made the effort to travel for every away game as well. He shared our frustrations, but he never allowed it to affect his passion and love for the team. As social media continued to change the dynamics of being a football fan, Ah Wa was always the guy who reminded us all what it meant to stand behind your team.
So it isn’t surprising to see thousands come out to publicly pay tribute, including players and former coaches. For these individuals, Ah Wa was a constant in a career that’s filled with plenty of unpredictable moments. One week, they could be touted as the best team in the country, the next one, they could be labelled as the worst. But either way, Ah Wa was always there, cheering behind them.
Unfortunately, when the AFF Suzuki Cup kicks off later this month, Ah Wa will not be there anymore. When the Super League gets underway next year, Ah Wa’s cheeky smile will no longer be spotted around the Perak Stadium. But his influence will continue to linger around Ipoh. Photographs of him will continue to exist on the internet. His stories will continue to be told for generations to come. And the support he showed will continue to be exemplified by every Perak fan club out there.
You know what’s incredible? Ah Wa never did these things to get attention or recognition. He was just a regular guy who loved his football and wanted to do everything he could to support his state and country. That’s all he ever wanted. Nothing more, nothing less.
Goodbye Ah Wa. You will always be Malaysia’s greatest football fan.
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