With regards to the letter A Taoist tip for Malaysian athletes , I must say that a lot more than a Taoist approach is going to be needed before Malaysia can even start fantasising about getting a bronze medal at the Olympics.

The Olympics is serious business for serious countries. Look at the medals won by the top performing countries, and you will appreciate what these nations are made of.

Among the attributes to do well in any Olympic sports are:

excellent national focus and organisation

personal skills and dedication

great determination, and tolerance in face of pain and disappointment

a never-say-die attitude and

meritocracy in sports

It seems to me that there are only a few countries in the Asia-Pacific region which can aspire to do well in the Olympics and they are China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and tiny (in terms of population) New Zealand. Thailand has managed to snatch a few medals in the Sydney and Athens Olympics.

Unfortunately the 'Malaysia Boleh' slogan is just what it is - a slogan to shout in order to feel better, which is easy enough if you don't have to do anything. And when it comes to doing something or committing to anything as serious as the Olympics, the real Malaysian attitude is actually 'Tidak Apa'.

Having attended a couple of Malaysian Olympic events (for example, when Malaysia played hockey against Canada in Sydney), I must say that Malaysia, as it currently stands, simply can not win at the Olympic level.

Perhaps it is the hot humid climate that has made Malaysians too embarrassed even to think about why they are so hopeless when it comes to the big time.