Strong endorsement from Sundram to Murali (Bukit Batok result is decided)

http://www.tnp.sg/sports/football/sundram-and-murali-relive-their-sembawang-football-days



SUNDRAM AND MURALI RELIVE THEIR SEMBAWANG FOOTBALL DAYS

MURALI, A CHILDHOOD TEAMMATE ?OF SUNDRAM'S, WOULD LEAVE EARLY TO STUDY

- See more at: http://www.tnp.sg/sports/football/s...-sembawang-football-days#sthash.DvSxlAgW.dpuf

Apr 26, 2016 6:00am
BY SHAMIR OSMAN


He spoke to The New Paper from Bangladesh, where his Tampines Rovers side are poised to take on Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi in Group E of the AFC Cup today.

Victory will push the Stags a step closer to becoming the first Singapore side to qualify from the group stage of the second-tier regional tourney since Home United in 2012.

V Sundramoorthy's team are chasing history, but it was The Dazzler's own footballing past that caught up with him recently and drew a warm glow.

Sundram met up with childhood football buddy K Muralidharan Pillai - the People's Action Party (PAP) candidate who will contest the May 7 Bukit Batok by-election - to make a video and, together, they talked about the sepia-tinted days gone by, when football was simple and brought so much joy.

Former Singapore international Sundram believes that Murali's character, displayed early on the streets of 14th mile Sembawang and at the foot of the Jurong Town Corporation flats there, will ensure the lawyer does well in the coming hustings.


"He was more of a scholar who would balance football with studies and that was what made him stand out from the rest of us who just wanted to play football," Sundram told TNP.

"We'll be playing till it got dark, but Murali would always leave earlier so he could go back and study. He didn't even have to say why he had to run off, we all knew he was that kind of responsible boy."

The kind of responsibility Murali displayed as a kid is a major reason Sundram, 50, believes his old buddy will serve the people of Bukit Batok well.

"The moment we met, I realised that he is still the same down-to-earth and jovial fellow I knew then - and he carries himself well. Those of us who grew up with him will be very proud if he does pull this off," said Sundram, who meets Murali every now and then at family gatherings.

Murali remembers vividly playing football with his famous friend as a kid, and how his job as a teammate was to simply collect the ball and pass it to Sundram.

The 48-year-old credits his parents for his off-the-field discipline.

"Coming from a modest family background - my father even juggled two jobs at one time to put food on the table - my parents emphasised that a good education would serve us well in life," said Murali.

"I must confess I leaned towards play more often… I recall a number of occasions where my mother would go marching to the football pitch to ask me to go back home immediately to wash up and study."

Sundram went on to don national colours and become one of Singapore's greatest footballers and he now dreams of leading the Lions as coach.

Murali's journey to leadership on the national stage followed a different path, but one that Sundram believes deserves equal, if not more, credit.

"My dream as a kid was every kid's dream, just to play a match at the National Stadium... we never even thought about playing in Europe," said Sundram, who turned out for Swiss side FC Basel in the 1980s.

"I think the challenge - and impact of success - of this election is about the same for Murali, and all of us who grew up with him are supporting him."

“In the 14th mile JTC flats at Sembawang, I had a wide circle of friends from different races and social backgrounds, and we respected each other. This early childhood experience laid the foundation for me to be able to reach out to people of different backgrounds, make friends with them and work together for the betterment of our community.”

— Murali Pillai

“I’m in Bangladesh now, the first time I’ve been back here since 1982 when I was 18 and played in an Asian youth tournament. You won’t believe how old I feel. But you realise some things never change — like friends from your younger days, like Murali — a time when it was all so innocent.”

— V Sundramoorthy

- See more at: http://www.tnp.sg/sports/football/s...-sembawang-football-days#sthash.DvSxlAgW.dpuf

Why new PAP candidates always got sob story, down to earth, coming from humble background etc. ?

Bonut said:

Why new PAP candidates always got sob story, down to earth, coming from humble background etc. ?

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Can't be worse than Dr Cheebye la.

Scrooball (clone) said:

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i dun trust pple with sharp pointed noses.

Come again, which area is Murali son/grandson/adopted-son/abandoned-son/etc, of, before being assigned to BB?

I sense that the PAP is not taking the SDP (CSJ) lightly. I need to emphasize that this is strictly my personal opinion, i.e. I am not speaking on behalf of anybody, or any party.

Many of you here in SBF may have your negative opinions of CSJ, but in actual fact, he is very popular with the young adults, say 40 years old and below. Presently, other than the PM LHL, CSJ has the most number of Facebook likes among all SG politicians, including PAP and all oppo parties. CSJ is the most popular opposition public figure, even out-numbers CSM (of WP) who was the most popular one until two years ago. I know that one has to take Facebook likes with a pinch of salt, but short of having another more accurate measure, Facebook likes is a fairly good indication of a politician's popularity. (Nicole Seah, of course, had the all-time most number of Facebook likes in 2011).

With that said, I want to get back to the BBBE discussion. I noticed that two days ago, the PAP even invited the (quiet, elderly, retired) widow of the late Dr Ong Chit Chun to accompany Murali during his Sunday hawker centre/ market walkabout. And now they bring in Sundram. The PAP did not do this much during the Hougang BE and the Punggol East BE. I mean if beating CSJ is a piece of cake, why would the PAP go through so much trouble? Why can't they just let Murali fight on his own? If I am a BB voter, would I vote for Murali who cannot win this race on his own huh?

Edit to add in notes: Yes, if based on Facebook likes, CSJ is more popular than our Minister Tharman.

Maybe it is the other way around, it is these people volunteer to get close the this ah neh to get some limelight

Given up hope on my fellow countrymen le.:(

Cosmos10 said:

I sense that the PAP is not taking the SDP (CSJ) lightly. I need to emphasize that this is strictly my personal opinion, i.e. I am not speaking on behalf of anybody, or any party.

Many of you here in SBF may have your negative opinions of CSJ, but in actual fact, he is very popular with the young adults, say 40 years old and below. Presently, other than the PM LHL, CSJ has the most number of Facebook likes among all SG politicians, including PAP and all oppo parties. CSJ is the most popular opposition public figure, even out-numbers CSM (of WP) who was the most popular one until two years ago. I know that one has to take Facebook likes with a pinch of salt, but short of having another more accurate measure, Facebook likes is a fairly good indication of a politician's popularity. (Nicole Seah, of course, had the all-time most number of Facebook likes in 2011).

With that said, I want to get back to the BBBE discussion. I noticed that two days ago, the PAP even invited the (quiet, elderly, retired) widow of the late Dr Ong Chit Chun to accompany Murali during his Sunday hawker centre/ market walkabout. And now they bring in Sundram. The PAP did not do this much during the Hougang BE and the Punggol East BE. I mean if beating CSJ is a piece of cake, why would the PAP go through so much trouble? Why can't they just let Murali fight on his own? If I am a BB voter, would I vote for Murali who cannot win this race on his own huh?

Edit to add in notes: Yes, if based on Facebook likes, CSJ is more popular than our Minister Tharman.

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Unrepented said:

Maybe it is the other way around, it is these people volunteer to get close the this ah neh to get some limelight

Given up hope on my fellow countrymen le.:(

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Agree with you that there are many ways to look at this situation. Perhaps, they have information that the race is closer than expected. I am not sure

Bro, the last time the PAP took things for granted and went on autopilot was the Anson By-elections in 1981. They were cocky and arrogant. The campaign manager was Goh Chok Tong and the candidate was Lim Kim San's nephew who also was cocky. The Branch Secretary was Ong Ah Heng. They lost. Old man crucified Goh Chok Tong in public and called him arrogant and failed to read the ground. The branch secretary was banished from Anson.

The PAP no longer takes things for granted since that day. They will go for the kill. The exception is when their research and sounding on the ground shows that opposition will retain control as in Hougang and Potong Pasir and they send in their 2nd string candidates and clowns like Lionel de Souza.

As to Facebook likes and popularity we all can learn from the Tan Kin Lian debacle. He was very popular on the internet and his online polls showed that he would likely win the Presidency. Even our ubiquitous Dr Wong Wee Nam agreed to be part of his strategy team and attended campaign meetings. There was nobody that came close in terms of his online presence, constant blogging and internet interactions. After nomination day his World collapsed. In the end Tan Kin Lian lost his deposit. Dr Wong Wee Nam who wrote a sterling endorsement of Tan Kin Lian in the middle of the campaign switched camps. You show know that amongst the Opposition parties for the last 15 years, the party with the biggest online presence is SDp but this has not related to any gains in the polls.

The new dimension that PAP has to tackle and therefore has to go full tilt is that Murali is an Indian and a minority. They cannot afford to win with a significant dip from the 2015 GE results as the racial undertones will be noticed. Then there is Tharman who is DPM and has his own motivation to ensure that they do well to show his link with the voters.

Then there is the PAP branches and their own motivation. If you have attended any of the counting centres during the various general elections you will note that PAP branches amongst themselves are ultra competitive. They do not even intermingle amongst the branches while the counting is on. They want to show HQ their own branch is that good.

Cosmos10 said:

I sense that the PAP is not taking the SDP (CSJ) lightly. I need to emphasize that this is strictly my personal opinion, i.e. I am not speaking on behalf of anybody, or any party.

Many of you here in SBF may have your negative opinions of CSJ, but in actual fact, he is very popular with the young adults, say 40 years old and below. Presently, other than the PM LHL, CSJ has the most number of Facebook likes among all SG politicians, including PAP and all oppo parties. CSJ is the most popular opposition public figure, even out-numbers CSM (of WP) who was the most popular one until two years ago. I know that one has to take Facebook likes with a pinch of salt, but short of having another more accurate measure, Facebook likes is a fairly good indication of a politician's popularity. (Nicole Seah, of course, had the all-time most number of Facebook likes in 2011).

With that said, I want to get back to the BBBE discussion. I noticed that two days ago, the PAP even invited the (quiet, elderly, retired) widow of the late Dr Ong Chit Chun to accompany Murali during his Sunday hawker centre/ market walkabout. And now they bring in Sundram. The PAP did not do this much during the Hougang BE and the Punggol East BE. I mean if beating CSJ is a piece of cake, why would the PAP go through so much trouble? Why can't they just let Murali fight on his own? If I am a BB voter, would I vote for Murali who cannot win this race on his own huh?

Edit to add in notes: Yes, if based on Facebook likes, CSJ is more popular than our Minister Tharman.

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The article by New Paper has no substance except to show association with a football hero. Probably going for the Malay and Indian votes. Nothing in the article tells me anything special about Murali or how he can be a good MP. Most of played football everyday and had to go home to study or do house work. Nothing special. I initially thought at the start of the article that Sundram was going to say how good Murali was as footballer and that he played for a 1st tier club in his younger days. It turned out to be an anti-climax.

scroobal said:

Bro, the last time the PAP took things for granted and went on autopilot was the Anson By-elections in 1981. They were cocky and arrogant. The campaign manager was Goh Chok Tong and the candidate was Lim Kim San's nephew who also was cocky. The Branch Secretary was Ong Ah Heng. They lost. Old man crucified Goh Chok Tong in public and called him arrogant and failed to read the ground. The branch secretary was banished from Anson.

The PAP no longer takes things for granted since that day. They will go for the kill. The exception is when their research and sounding on the ground shows that opposition will retain control as in Hougang and Potong Pasir and they send in their 2nd string candidates and clowns like Lionel de Souza.

As to Facebook likes and popularity we all can learn from the Tan Kin Lian debacle. He was very popular on the internet and his online polls showed that he would likely win the Presidency. Even our ubiquitous Dr Wong Wee Nam agreed to be part of his strategy team and attended campaign meetings. There was nobody that came close in terms of his online presence, constant blogging and internet interactions. After nomination day his World collapsed. In the end Tan Kin Lian lost his deposit. Dr Wong Wee Nam who wrote a sterling endorsement of Tan Kin Lian in the middle of the campaign switched camps. You show know that amongst the Opposition parties for the last 15 years, the party with the biggest online presence is SDp but this has not related to any gains in the polls.

The new dimension that PAP has to tackle and therefore has to go full tilt is that Murali is an Indian and a minority. They cannot afford to win with a significant dip from the 2015 GE results as the racial undertones will be noticed. Then there is Tharman who is DPM and has his own motivation to ensure that they do well to show his link with the voters.

Then there is the PAP branches and their own motivation. If you have attended any of the counting centres during the various general elections you will note that PAP branches amongst themselves are ultra competitive. They do not even intermingle amongst the branches while the counting is on. They want to show HQ their own branch is that good.

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Wow, bro., I did not expect a fairly long analysis from you. I must say you do know more than me, especially all those historical stuff. I did not even know that GCT was the campaign manager for the Anson by-election. Thanks for the info.

Anyway, I am switching off from this BBBE thing for the rest of this evening. So, please do not think I am ignoring your subsequent comments if I do not reply. I will read them tomorrow. Thanks

Paging kim song.... any good words for csj playing as kids?

Lol

scroobal said:

The article by New Paper has no substance except to show association with a football hero. Probably going for the Malay and Indian votes. Nothing in the article tells me anything special about Murali or how he can be a good MP. Most of played football everyday and had to go home to study or do house work. Nothing special. I initially thought at the start of the article that Sundram was going to say how good Murali was as footballer and that he played for a 1st tier club in his younger days. It turned out to be an anti-climax.

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murali is a much better hockey player. his football CMI type. i know. i was once his team-mate!

to counter the Murali/Sundram combo, CSJ may want to get QKS on his side, thru SL!

agree - they are using Sundram to secure the Malay and Indian votes.

cocobobo said:

Paging kim song.... any good words for csj playing as kids?

Lol

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wow! posting at the same time!

scroobal said:

The Branch Secretary was Ong Ah Heng. They lost. Old man crucified Goh Chok Tong in public and called him arrogant and failed to read the ground. The branch secretary was banished from Anson.

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OAH would have been the candidate if not for his 'lifestyle.' Chng Jit Koon spoke to Old Man on numerous occasions to give OAH the opportunity. They wanted Nantah grads back then to get support from the "helicopters.' Old Man's intel was A1. OAH was punting like nobody's business with the bookies. He was also a "Valentino." If not bad enough, OAH's wife was collecting illegal 4D.

It was only years later that Old Man relented after Jit Koon assured him OAH had changed for the better. the rest is history as his son was soon talent-spotted by Papa and Anak Party.

for those who witnessed the crying skills and abilities of boon heng and swee say, please note that Ong Ah Heng cried buckets after the Anson loss. a friend of mine who witnessed it almost fainted! yet, ah heng failed to perform the same when his loved ones up-lorry.

Cosmos10 said:

I sense that the PAP is not taking the SDP (CSJ) lightly. I need to emphasize that this is strictly my personal opinion, i.e. I am not speaking on behalf of anybody, or any party.

Many of you here in SBF may have your negative opinions of CSJ, but in actual fact, he is very popular with the young adults, say 40 years old and below. Presently, other than the PM LHL, CSJ has the most number of Facebook likes among all SG politicians, including PAP and all oppo parties. CSJ is the most popular opposition public figure, even out-numbers CSM (of WP) who was the most popular one until two years ago. I know that one has to take Facebook likes with a pinch of salt, but short of having another more accurate measure, Facebook likes is a fairly good indication of a politician's popularity. (Nicole Seah, of course, had the all-time most number of Facebook likes in 2011).

With that said, I want to get back to the BBBE discussion. I noticed that two days ago, the PAP even invited the (quiet, elderly, retired) widow of the late Dr Ong Chit Chun to accompany Murali during his Sunday hawker centre/ market walkabout. And now they bring in Sundram. The PAP did not do this much during the Hougang BE and the Punggol East BE. I mean if beating CSJ is a piece of cake, why would the PAP go through so much trouble? Why can't they just let Murali fight on his own? If I am a BB voter, would I vote for Murali who cannot win this race on his own huh?

Edit to add in notes: Yes, if based on Facebook likes, CSJ is more popular than our Minister Tharman.

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Agree with you on Ong Chit Chung's widow.

But please don't use Facebook likes to justify a claim that a politician is of rising popularity. That is rubbish.

U know something,csj is also a scholar too but I prefer his challenge the norm,break conventional rules,defy authority and mad dog attitude than this goodie two shoes,play by the book,arse kissing,ladder climbing textbook government employee,always studying because hes got no balls to go and pursue something he truly believes in and cares about instead of pleasing his parents,peers,institutions trying to look like some successful role model.thats why this country doesntT have entrepreneurs,inventors and heroes only textbook "scholars" that are carbon copies of one another and spout the same motherhood statements.

Vote Ah Neh if you want a boring Parliament!!

Vote Ah Chee if you want to kuah Hee!!

sundram was a rash type player.. hardly exciting on the field and boring as a coach. not impressible at all. what kinda of shit endorsement is that.

better ask Coffeeshop to endorse.