The man with the pistol

MANY sports spectators may not think much about the official who fires the starter pistol at any racing competition, the most common of which would be the running events.

Understandably, they would dismiss it as simply a requirement to signal the start of the race – much like a regular flag-off.

“You still need a licence, because even with blanks, a starter pistol is still a firearm. To get the licence, you must go for training,” says Johnny Ling Yuen Lee.

Mention his name among the key people in the track-and-field community in Miri, especially those linked with interschool sports, and you would always receive the same response: nodding heads indicating respect and admiration.

Ling, 73, has been an official race starter for more than 30 years, affiliated with the Miri Division Amateur Athletics Association (MDAAA).

Always enthusiastic about this job, the Sibu-born man also loves to joke about it.

“Yes, I carry a gun, and I am Johnny Ling – not James Bond.

“Still, I have the official licence for a gun and I can disqualify any well-trained athlete who commits a false start – and yes, I can even disqualify Usain Bolt!” he chuckles.

‘Born in Sungei Merah’

I met up with Ling recently, which I would say was among the most rewarding sessions that I had ever conducted.

Appearing way younger than his age, the man exudes positive energy, and was very enthusiastic about sports.

Anyone who had ever been involved in organising sports events, especially track-and-field, in Miri would instantly know him.

Ling had served as the official race starter for track events from 1994 to 2023 – said to be the longest service ever rendered by any sports official in Miri.

He may have retired from being a race starter, but he is still passionate about all sports and ever ready to assist the MDAAA in his present capacity as its honorary secretary.

Born in Sungei Merah, Sibu in 1951, Ling had attended Hua Hin English School Sungei Merah from 1960 to 1965, before entering Methodist Secondary School in Sibu. In 1971, he enrolled at Kuching Vocational School, and graduated in 1973.

After that, Ling joined Sesco – the predecessor of the present power corporation Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) in Sibu. In 1975, he reported to the Sarawak branch of the national broadcaster, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) in Kuching, and in1982, he was transferred to RTM Miri where he served until his retirement in 2011.

He then joined the private sector, the Riam Institute of Technology in Miri, where he is now its senior administrative assistant.

‘Passionate about sports’

Ling was already involved in the Sibu Division Amateur Athletics Association during his Sesco tenure in Sibu, but he left following his transfer to RTM in Kuching.

However upon his assignment at RTM Miri in 1982, he reconnected with athletics and immediately applied to join the MDAAA. The following year, he was made the association’s honorary treasurer and in 1995, its honorary secretary.

Since then, Ling had been the main man in many major sports events such as the Miri Marathon and Miri Joggerthon, Miri Open Athletics Meet, Subis-Bakong Sports Carnival, Miri Mile Run, Dynasty Hotel Miri charity runs, as well as other events organised by various non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

“I’m particularly ‘popular’ when it comes to school sports meets not only in Miri, but also in Limbang and Bintulu.

“It always make me very happy to be associated with all these events, which I must say have produced many good track-and-field athletes like Watson Nyambek (sprinter), Lee Chiew Ha (shot put), Ngu Kit Ming (discus), Linda Chin, Mohd Jironi Reduan (both former distance runners), Boniface Lejau (sprinter), and Lim Teck Leong (long jump).

“Watson, in fact, qualified for the Olympics twice: Atlanta 1996, and Sydney 2000.

“I was also glad to have been assigned as the assistant manager of the Sarawak contingent at various sports events, including the Borneo Games in Sabah 2005, and the Sixth Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Friendship Games in Brunei in 2008.

“My life has been enriched so much by these experiences,” he said.

‘Rules are rules’

Asked about the beginning of his long years as a race starter, Ling the interest first sparked after he passed the Technical Official Examination Grade 3 Evaluation, which earned him the status of a registered technical official under the Malaysian Amateur Athletics Federation.

“As my interest grew, I wanted to further my qualification. In 1994, I decided to apply for a gun permit, on behalf of the MDAAA, to authorise me to become a race starter at any athletics meet.”

However, Ling said being a race starter was one among many responsibilities that he held under the association.

“I served as an official in almost all positions. Under MDAAA, I was also responsible for organising many athletics meets, including those held at primary and secondary school levels.”

Ling, however, acknowledged that there were challenges that came with the job.

“Personally, I always find it very hard to disqualify athletes who have been training for months.

“Still, rules are rules – a runner who commits false starts will get disqualified.

“Take Usain Bolt, for example; it must have been very frustrating for him, as a record-breaking athlete, to be disqualified due to a false start at the 2011 World Championships.

“One thing, though, I must say is that many of our athletes are highly disciplined. I, myself, uphold high-level discipline and I believe that a sport’s credibility depends on the compliance with the rules.

“Any sports official must apply these rules consistently, and to ensure fair conduct that applies to all athletes within the justifiable frame of the regulations.

“I do not know about other officials, but for me personally, I feel rewarded whenever an event is running smoothly, complying fully with the rules, and listing many new records.

“All athletes must be nurtured and inspired to do their best. So when officials are working well together, the athletes tend to perform better.”

To Ling, it has been a rewarding vocation.

“I have witnessed the progress of many good athletes, many of whom were unearthed in the school meets.

“I am glad that I am in this scene. Many schools in Miri have produced quite a number of good athletes who have not only competed at the local level, but have also represented Sarawak at Sukma (Malaysia Games), and the country at SEA Games and the Olympics.

“The leaders in MDAAA have contributed significantly to this. I have served under past (MDAAA) presidents Bishop John Leong, Suhaili Arshad, Tan Sri Peter Chin and Datuk Aidan Wing, and now Dato Dr Fong Onn Min.

“It’s great being involved in athletics under their leadership and guidance.”

‘Life outside sports’

Ling is active in the Rukun Tetangga (Neighbourhood Watch) of his Riam neighbourhood.

In 1995, he represented Rukun Tetangga Riam at a seminar in Kuching and following that, in 2001 he was made the publicity officer of the Special Olympics Sarawak Chapter.

He is also involved in Miri tenpin bowling and has been actively involved in the blood donation campaign run by the Malaysian Red Crescent-Miri Chapter since 1983.

“I have donated blood 48 times,” he smiled.

He is also an active member of the Agape Methodist Church Miri.

Ling chuckled when asked about any awards or recognition accorded upon him throughout his years in the civil service.

“Since you asked, during my time at RTM Miri, I was selected as one of the official technicians undertaking the coverage of the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.

“We worked together with the New Zealand TV crew, a collaboration that many commended as having provided excellent coverage of the Games.

“Maybe because of that, I was privileged to have received the PPS (‘Pingat Perkhidmatan Setia’, or the ‘Loyal Service Medal’) in 1999.”

Further research revealed that Ling also received the state awards ‘Bentara Bintang Sarawak’ (BBS) in 2000 and ‘Ahli Bintang Kenyalang’ (ABK) in 2009, as well as the ‘Hii King Leng Sports Volunteer Extraordinaire Award’ in 2017.

Ling is married to Felice Sia, a teacher from Sibu, and the couple is blessed with a son and a daughter, and four grandchildren.

“Despite often being out in the fields or in stadiums performing his duties, he has always been a hands-on father,” Sia described her husband.

“He has never failed to come home for dinner and watch his children do their homework.

“To us, education is very important as it is the key to success. We uphold discipline and steadfast faith in God, and we always pray that all children in our country will value education.

“Coming from very poor backgrounds, we have struggled to do well in life. This is the essence of social achievement. If all of us did this, our society would be stronger, more progressive and more harmonious.”

Sia also hailed her husband as ‘a good provider, a stern father, but always helpful around the house’.

In his simple ways, Ling did show us some ways for us to contribute meaningfully to society.

My guess is Miri athletics would dearly miss him should he ever retire from the local sports scene.