KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Sieh Kok Chi, who is one of Malaysia's most well-known sport administrators, died at the age of 83 on Saturday.
He served as honorary secretary of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) from 1992 to 2013 and was also OCM secretary general from 2013-2015. Kok Chi became the only person in OCM history to have held the positions of honorary secretary and secretary general.
Fittingly, Kok Chi became known as "Mr. OCM" or "Living Encyclopaedia of OCM" for his vast experience and knowledge in multi-sport games.
Kok Chi, who was the honorary secretary of the Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia from 1974-1982, was a national water polo player from 1960-1970.
He competed in three South East Asian Peninsular Games (as the Sea Games were then known) and one Asian Games.
A qualified civil engineer, Kok Chi had contributed to the Olympic movement in Malaysia for more than six decades. He served the Drainage and Irrigation Department of Malaysia from 1963 till 1989 before being seconded to the National Sports Council as an adviser to the Organising Committee of the 1989 KL Sea Games.
Kok Chi was appointed chef de mission to the 1999 Sea Games in Brunei where Malaysia won 57 gold, 46 silver and 42 bronze, finishing second behind Thailand in the overall medal standings.
OCM president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria described Kok Chi's passing as a great loss to the sporting fraternity as well as the Olympic movement in Malaysia, but added his spirit and immense drive for the cause will continue to inspire them for a lifetime.
"We are deeply saddened by the news of the passing of our long-serving former secretary-general, Datuk Sieh Kok Chi.
"On behalf of the OCM, we wish to express our deepest condolences to his family members and may his soul rest in peace," he said in a statement.
Norza said Kok Chi was known by many as one of the individuals responsible for the prospering of the OCM, being there from its early years to the institution that stands strong today.
He said Kok Chi was driven throughout his professional life for the well-being and development of the OCM since 1974, where he had served in various committees and task forces within the OCM.
Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu described Kok Chi as irreplaceable and a great loss for the country.
"Throughout Datuk Sieh's life, he played a huge role in the development of national sports. He also received the Sports Figure Award 2019/2020 in conjunction with the National Sports Awards Ceremony in March," he said on Twitter.