Friday 29 Mar 2024
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This article first appeared in Capital, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on September 25, 2017 - October 1, 2017

AS the Joker — masterfully played by the late Heath Ledger — said in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008), “It’s not about the money. It’s about ... sending a message.”

The football world went into shock in August when French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) signed Brazilian superstar Neymar Jr from Spanish club Barcelona for a record transfer fee of £200 million, or US$263 million.

Manchester United manager José Mourinho commented that Neymar’s high-profile transfer — which cost as much as a Boeing 787 Dreamliner — would further inflate an already “crazy” transfer market.

But come to think of it, the deal is about sending a message, like the Joker put it.

So, what is the message?

1. Qatar will not be bullied

PSG is essentially owned by Qatar via Oryx Qatar Sports Investments, a Doha-backed fund that invests in the international sport market. The Neymar deal is seen as a political statement by the Qataris to project a business-as-usual image to their foreign allies and investors, against the backdrop of the economic blockade imposed on the Gulf state by four Arab nations, namely Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.

 

2. PSG to join European elite

PSG may be a big club in France, but it has never won the UEFA Champions League, the most prestigious club competition in Europe. Wooing Neymar from rival Barcelona is thus a major milestone for the Parisian club. The move shows its ambition and determination to win silverware at the highest level — one that would make the fans proud — even if it comes with a hefty price tag.

Talking about football, Malaysia remained stuck in the 166th spot in the latest International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) rankings released this month — no surprises there.

And if you are wondering how many countries there are in the world, the answer is 195. Yes, I googled.

That puts our national squad on a par with football minnows like the Dominican Republic, Mauritius, Puerto Rico and Gambia.

But hang on, don’t lose hope yet.

The Football Association of Malaysia has announced that it intends to hire a “ranking consultant” to improve Harimau Malaya’s position in the football world rankings.

Wait a minute … a ranking consultant? I never knew there was such a job!

Perhaps we should also appoint consultants to improve our international ranking in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index, World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business and the Global Innovation Index.

“Erm … what about corruption?” you ask.

Nah … I wouldn’t even bother going there.

Why?

The Corruption Perception Index, published by Transparency International (TI), is defined as a ranking of countries “by their perceived levels of corruption”. Yes, it is just a perception.

Like the high level of crime, rising cost of living and many other issues in the country, widespread corruption is just a perception that ... you guessed it ... opposition politicians are responsible for.

That’s why I don’t complain too much if a government department overpays for some night-vision Bushnell binoculars or stationery.

That, to me,  is not a leakage. It’s about sending a message: The Malaysian economy is still in good shape, and we are willing to spend big to become a stronger nation. Yes, Malaysia memang boleh!

Clearly, the Qataris and the French are drawing inspiration from us.

 

Note: Please do not take the ramblings here too seriously. Everything is just perception, after all.

 

 

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