Posted in Malaysian First

Ola Bola? Since when did Bangsa M’sia-Chinese take over our football scene?

Posted on by Helen Ang

Semi-regular reader Surrhead left the comment below in my earlier post ‘MCA, DAP fight over Khir Johari name and whether Zairil is Malay‘.

I may not follow his suggestion.

I’ve just only caught a flu and in any case, it’s so near CNY. My free time is required to do (only a little bit, since I’m sick) spring cleaning and housework as well as buy groceries since many Chinese food outlets will be closed for CNY, and so I shall need to cook my own meals.

It’s also why I’ve been pushing out articles yesterday and today — to say my piece before the hols. I hope readers will take time to read the backlog when I go on break.

puzzledcat

Ola Bola, huh?

I am aware that our national team in the 70s was captained by Soh Chin Aun, and it had Super Mokh and Spiderman and Santokh Singh – a Bangsa Malaysia picture postcard, you can say.

So, what’s the movie about?

Surrhead commented @ 2016/02/05 at 5:20 pm,

Ola Bola

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32 thoughts on “Ola Bola? Since when did Bangsa M’sia-Chinese take over our football scene?”

  1. at a time when there was many chinese n indian in civil servant n national school.

    i recall my dad shouting in joy when james wong unbelievable turn twist n score. my fav was hassan sani. that was the sudirman, dj dave n sharifah aini era.

    yeah the director is a chinese, from bp johor.

    1. It is typical of the opportunistic DAP Chinese to claim the success and hardwork of Hassan Sani and James Wong as theirs. The sweat and tears was real. The success was real but when the malays ,chinese and indians wanted a share of the 20 millions ticket sales , the chinese producers the success of the movie is not related to their football success! This means these chines film makers exploited their success and the emotional pride.
      The players wanted to sue becos they came to see them but when thé asked for contract they ran away.
      Thus the footballers are victim of hypocrites chinese film makers. They make money from the footballers success but when they ask for contract the chinese claim, got nothing to do with them! Based on true story but nothing to do with them. Even changing James Wong as the scorer becos they dont want to pay the footballers!

  2. Spot on. Melayu now form the majority of the national team. State team pun agaknya lagi ramai africans daripada Malaysian Chinese. Local football tak ikut ada hati nak preach bola nasional.

    Unsurprisingly this is a growing sentiment among Malay folks – that the message of Ola Bola is insincere. Filming/sporting equivalent of DAP politicians masuk masjid or quoting Islamic text.

  3. Ola Bola story centered around the Malaysian football team in the late 70s-80s. That was the time when the Malaysian team had players from all races.

    I do not know how some movie goers, whom by the way, are especially articulate in emphasizing their specific ethnicity, find the message of the movie ‘insincere.’

    What message got lost in translation exactly? The fact we had a more racially diverse football team back in the days? Or different ethnicity and creed (poverty too) are no hindrance to people who have their goals and mind set on the positive?

    Talking about local production, and how sincere or realistic are those police-gang movies depicting police and robbers shootout with machine guns ala HK triad style on our streets? Or those ‘not-authority sanctioned’ modified cars drifting in the streets of KL shamelessly emulating Fast and Furious?

    Sports-themed movies are plenty. But Ola-Bola hits home because it is made in Malaysia and about Malaysia. If would help of course if movie critics who chose to share their 2 sen actually go watch the movie first. Then perhaps they (critics) would know the movie is only depicting the team that was and in no way trying to say that is the status quo these days.

    Ola Bola football matches scenes are flawlessly choreographed, executed and beautifully shot. The actings are natural enough and the 3 Indian kids really stole the show. It is a good movie on all counts.

    1. re: “If would help of course if movie critics who chose to share their 2 sen actually go watch the movie first. Then perhaps they (critics) would know the movie is only depicting the team that was and in no way trying to say that is the status quo these days.”

      I already said, I’m sick — down with the flu. I’ll go watch next week and we can revisit this discussion.

      However those of my Malay friends who have watched it say the same as Kamal about the insincerity, in Kamal’s words “Filming/sporting equivalent of DAP politicians masuk masjid or quoting Islamic text”.

      1. Saya pun belum tengok. Rasa macam tak mau tengok sebab dah masak dgn Malaysian Firsters punya konsep of Malaysia. Tapi takpa nanti saya pi tgk. Nak bahas ngan Harlequin kena jugak la tengok. Hmmmmm expect lots of #dejavumoments

        2. ko pegi tonton tanda putera la, satu kali lagi, apasal bazir wang tengok tayangan dap? tonton mao zedong lagi syok, kawan baik bapak najib. cctv manyak.

      2. Helen

        My comment/criticism is not directed at you.

        Quote: “Filming/sporting equivalent of DAP politicians masuk masjid or quoting Islamic text”.

        I cannot agree with the above analogy when applied to the context of the movie. Director Chiu Keng Guan is a Batu Pahat boy. As a Malaysian, he is fully within his cred to retell a Malaysian tale of football and struggle as interpreted in his movie. He is not some imported Hollywood director attempting to recount the Malaysian dream through sheer imagination. Neither is this a case someone from another faith quoting scriptures they don’t subscribe to.

        This is the work of a Malaysian director tapping into his Malaysia-ness to recount a Malaysian story.

        1. “This is the work of a Malaysian director…”

          in helen site, u must say “This is the work of a chinese director…”

          1. His last film was a classic.
            The tale of Cina Bukit Cameron find a white husband and takes a balloon for Chinese New Year.
            At least Ola Bola got Indian actors….

            1. Since it’s the same filmmaker, what message / similar theme do you think the guy is trying to push through both?

              1. Next year, he should make Journey II. I hope there are a couple of clever white babies in the show.

                1. Ya lor knowing their previous movies la, I felt macam tak mau tengok. Takut termuntah hijau nanti!

                  Batu Pahat, hmmmm Impian Johor next?? Liew Chin Tong??

              2. The message: hype the film. Bother you will lots of adverts. You will go and see it.

                1. Aside from the money-making thrust lah.

                  Since the Ola Bola producer also did that other one, can you pls share with us a review of the other film? And the mesej tersirat… Am sure it’s a Firster thing, right? (Like how Annie pretends to be a wanita Cina kacukan).

                    1. chiu team is mostly taiwanese, he was a bp chinese high school student.

                      chinese yearning of their northwest plateau, central plain n cold north, while our nostalgia include hot sun, coconut beach n rubber plant, lu nyonya nanyang tak kan tak tahu. go read the literature of chinese malaysian (many r johorean) reside in taiwan, but u cant read much hanzi right? pity.

                      not much message in chiu film, he have the tendency to show the beautiful side of malaysia, pretty insincere n sham like many here assert.

        1. The one 2 years ago with a Bukit Cameron Chinese girl and Mat Salleh boyfriend is better. More suitable for Chinese New Year and Valentine.
          Go and watch the Monkey and his friends. Piggy friend only appears in the movie and not the poster, HY.

    1. Belum tengok lagi. I saw the 1st one but did not like it. I prefer the Stephen Chow version.
      I will watch it later. I would prefer to see the Mermaid. Ola Bola… not at the cinema. Like the girl with a white husband, I will wait for the TV version.
      One thing about the new year local cinema shows, they are silly comedies e.g. Ah Beng etc. Not worth the admission. Just wait for TV.
      If I don’t watch, others will… and there is wajib tayang rule. Even Namewee’s films are subject to wajib tayang.

  5. i pelik…ada orang kata skuad bola malaysia ni melayu mau pegang..realitinya anak cina suka main bola keranjang…nasib baik melayu tidak bising kata bola keranjang tidak 1malaysia…muahahah

    1. Ola Bola is a movie made for a Chinese audience. Why is a Malaysian movie (should be predominantly in Malay) have Chinese subtitles? It is strategically aimed at the Chinese who will never pay good money to watch a Malay film at the cinema.
      Even the official making off documentary is in Chinese and English.

      Just listen to the interviews. Well no Bahasa.
      If this film is targeted at the Malays, it would certainly be during the Raya. Would you think the film would be successful if were targeted to a Malay audience?
      Ola Bola like other Woohoo films (Journey, Woohoo etc) are Chinese New Year film targeting those who want to watch a Malaysian accented Chinese film. The same audience who would watch the Singapore Chinese comedies.
      Realitinya flies ini sememangnya until tontonan orang Cina. Like the English bride movie, this is a Chinese fairy tale. Chinese seldom play football but an audience looking for fantasy it is reality.

      2. Ramai daripada kami ( peminat filem yg tak minat sgt nak campur aduk politik dgn seni filem) yg tak akan setuju dgn kamu…

        pergi ke fb page Movie Addict ( malaysia) yg rata2 nya peminat filem melayu dan tgk sendiri

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