Consequently, Malaysian hunters began to treat shooting seriously as they saw for themselves that it was indeed an Olympic sport and recognized at the highest level by the world’s governing body, UIT (now ISSF) and IOC.

Malaysian shooting enthusiasts began to switch in droves to competitive shooting when they realized that they could earn fame and recognition by representing the country in the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Olympics and other continental and regional championships.

Instead of chasing the wild in deep jungles, local shooters took part in Inter-State shooting competitions, eventually graduating to national level championships. By 1951, they were taking part in the New Delhi Asian Games and nine years later, local shooters participated in the 1960 Rome Olympics.

From then on, there was no looking back. In a matter of 11 years from its birth, Malaysian shooters had made steady progress in the sport. They had transformed from a bunch of weekend hunters to competitive shooters.

Gangling Ong Hock Eng had the honour of being the first Malaysian trap shooter to represent Malaysia in the 1960 Rome Olympics. While he was enthusiastic and determined, he was no match for the more advanced shooters due to a lack of proper gear and equipment.

If a current trap shooter were to go into a range without a shooting vest, a hunting rifle and sparkling leather shoes, one would think of him as a misfit.

But in Hock Eng’s case, it was his first venture in the Olympics. So it was amusing for others to see him in a short-sleeved shirt, a hunting shotgun and a pair of office leader shoes lining up against the world’s best.

Malaysia really came to the fore in the seventies with the likes of Ally Ong, Yap Pow Thong, Chen So Yim and Edmund Yong. They teamed up well to virtually sweep everything before them in Southeast Asia starting in the 1973 Seap Games, now known as the Sea Games.

Malaysia’s strength in shotgun continued in the eighties with the likes of renowned shooters like Jimmy Chin, Vincent Teo, Sunny Hon and Kaw Fung Ying to name a few. They dominated skeet in Southeast Asia.

A rare gem unfolded along with the skeet shooters and he was the versatile and mercurial Sabiamad Abdul Ahad. This stocky but sturdy pistol shooter from Kelantan ruled virtually all the five pistol events in Malaysia in the late seventies and early eighties. He won numerous Sea Games gold medals in Free Pistol and Centre Fire.

Abdul Mutalib, nicknamed the tough cop, brought honour to the country by winning gold in the air rifle in the first Commonwealth shooting championship.

Major Jasni Shaari was the nation’s first perfect shooter when he scored 600 out of 600 in military competitions in the United States. Major Jasni also brought honour to the nation by being a Southeast Asia Shooting Association shooting championship smallbore rifle champion.

The sport also gained popularity amongst women shooters in the eighties and nineties. Some of the prominent names are Nurul Huda Baharin, Bibiana Ng, Rosnani Abu Bakar and Noriha Abdul Rani. For good measure, Nurul won the smallbore gold in the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

Young shooters are fast making a mark for themselves. Bibiana is really blossoming now while others like Mohamad Emran Zakaria, Mohd Sabki, Mohamad Hameleay, Mohd Zainul Akmal Azmi, Wang Wen Chuen, Ahmad Anai, Hasli Izwan, Mohd Firdaus, Nurul Hudda Baharin, Nordailah Abu Bakar, Nur Suryani Mohd Taibi, Nur Ain Chew Abdullah, Roslina Bakar, Mashita Ramli, Suefarinawathy Affendi, Siti Sarah Mohd Ibrahim and Sapiah Pilus are threatening to eclipse the veterans.

He believed that Malaysians could excel in shooting as it is one sport where physique matters little. So long as special concessions are made to youth and national shooters, he knows Malaysians can deliver the goods.

Aware of NSAM president Ally Ong’s desire to popularise the sport and encourage more youngsters to take up shooting, Tun Hanif requested Ally to be the chairman of the Firearms Committee in 1980.

He was appointed based on his integrity, passion and vast knowledge of the sport. The committee then comprised of officials from NSAM and Police.

The move to form the Firearms Committee eliminated all red tapes in licensing for all shooting associations and competitors alike.

As a result of Tun Hanif’s contribution, today all shooting associations in the country have sufficient guns and equipment for training and competition purposes.

Due to Tun Hanif’s far-sightedness, shooting has since reached new heights as evident by its laudable achievements in the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

Above all, Tun Tan’s integrity and sincerity were second to none . He brought with him a wealth of experience as a top-notch leader and first-class administrator. Tun Tan’s drive for shooting recognition earned NSAM affiliation to the Asian Shooting Confederation (ASC), International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) and Southeast Asian Shooting Association (SEASA). Fittingly, he was also one of the founders of ASC and the founder president of SEASA.

Locally he took shooting to greater heights by helping to secure a far-flung but tranquil piece of land in Subang for the relocation of the Jalan Gurney Range to its present premise Subang Shooting Range in 1965.

By having a proper home with a conducive environment, Tun Tan ensured that NSAM produced shooters to take part in the Olympics, Asian Games, Asian shooting championship, SEASA championship and SEAP Games, now known as the Sea Games.

Together with his deputy Ally Ong, Tun Tan embarked on youth development programmes in 1980s. Such was his enthusiasm and leadership that he remained as president until his death in 1988.

In spite of Tun Tan’s enormous ministerial duties and NGO’s patronage, he spent some of his time popularising the sport, both at the regional and international levels. He was instrumental in forming regional organizations such as the Southeast Asian Shooting Association (SEASA) and Asian Shooting Confederation (ASC).

Due to escalating job pressure, the visionary Tun Tan picked a talented young shooter Ally, who is the current ASC, NSAM and SSA president to initiate and mastermind his long-term vision for the development of the sport.
 

Due to his deep passion for shooting and administrative acumen, he is able to understand the sport’s intrigues and peculiarities thoroughly.

All these plans, directed at improving the status of shooting, were successfully implemented by NSAM for the betterment of the sport.

Ally is a resourceful and incisive official in the Malaysian sporting scene, having been a competitor, coach, administrator and Chef de Mission. He shines as the leader of NSAM, SSA, SEASA and ASC since 1995.

Under his tenure, State and National shooters really had a field day, participating in six national-level competitions. By doing so, the committee believes the sport will thrive, the shooters will have adequate avenues to qualify for the national

His no-nonsense style and dynamic leadership were the chief reasons for Ally returning unopposed in SSA’s highest office since 1975 and in NSAM since 1988.

Together with his diligent committee, he transformed NSAM into its present ultra-modern recreational premise with an office run by full-time staff, range masters and an armoury with a qualified armourer.

International shooting officials have commented that NSAM is a prefect blend of shooting and recreation, just like a unique shooting resort.

As a shooter, he has no equal in this country. In his 17 glittering years as competitor, Ally won eight SEA Games gold (two individual and six team), a fourth-placing in the 1974 Teheran Asian Games, a fifth in the 1974 Commonwealth Games, a silver in the 1975 Asian shooting championships, a debut appearance in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, named Shooter of the Year by the NSAM six times plus countless gold medals at State and National championships.

Ally is also the current president of ASC which presently has 44 nations. He has the rare distinction of being re-elected unanimously for a second term as president of the ASC.

His other notable contributions include ensuring a greater voice for Asia in the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF). For example, ASC started a fund to ensure Asia’s presence in ISSF Assemblies.

He was also instrumental in getting ISSF to grant SEASA Olympic qualifying status. No wonder SEASA and ASC held him in high esteem.

His other milestones include an appointment by the Olympic Council of Malaysia as Chef De Mission of the Malaysian contingent for the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada.

While leading the Malaysian contingent in Victoria, the Commonwealth Shooting Federation spotted his leadership qualities and appointed him as the chairman of the shooting competitions for the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia.

Malaysia will also be the venue for the 2004 Asian Shooting Championship.

To Malaysian national shooters, state shooters and shooting enthusiasts, he is a man who quietly to let his action does the talking.

When the National Shooting Association of Malaysia (NSAM) and Selangor Shooting Association (SSA) were making zealous efforts to promote the sport in the 1980s, Tan Sri Norian complemented the duo’s enthusiasm with his prompt approval of shooters’ memberships and gun’s licences.

Due to the nation’s strict gun laws, he realised then that the sport was facing severe obstacles in attracting more young blood to the sport. To help NSAM overcome the problem, he expedited the approval process and that was a real shot in the arm for the national body as it meant that more people, particularly young adults, could take up shooting.

In the eighties, he was an Officer-in-Charge of Police District (OCPD) of Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. NSAM could vividly recall that Tan Sri Norian’s efficiency during that period was responsible for the smooth processing of firearms licencing.

As NSAM and SSA were in the district of Petaling Jaya, the duo’s licencing and membership applications came under Tan Sri Norian’s perview. Naturally, the two are indeed delighted that Tan Sri Norian is now at the helm of the Malaysian Police force and they can count on him and the Police for blessings in the promotion of the sport.

The most recent being the Police’s approval of those 12 and above to take up shooting sports. This has enabled students to pursue shooting and created a wider pool of talent for the nation.