Ahead of FAM’s Sept 17 Congress, a former exco member urges delegates to reject candidates with poor track records in resolving club-level issues.
INDIVIDUALS with poor track records at the state or club level will only become a liability if elected to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) leadership, warned former FAM executive committee member Datuk Christopher Raj.
He stressed that candidates who had failed to resolve basic issues, such as salary arrears and statutory contributions at their respective clubs or state associations, should not offer themselves for election in the upcoming FAM Congress on Sept 17 for the remaining 2025-2029 term.
“Do not burden a ship that is already in trouble; do not make things worse. This is not the place for glamour, to be famous and so on,” he said on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme tonight.
Christopher added that introducing underperforming officials into the national body would only harm the organisation and its president.
“They will become a liability to the national association. Why? Because when you fail to function effectively at the state or club level and bring yourself to the national body, it only worsens conditions for the president. If I knew I had unresolved issues at my state or club and lacked the capacity to contribute, I would not contest,” he said.
He explained that the upcoming election was critical as the elected leadership must possess the capability to steer national football out of “darkness”.
Christopher emphasised that the ultimate decision rested with the delegates to ensure the FAM ship did not sink due to poor leadership choices.
“If they feel they can manage the state, manage the club, and manage FAM, by all means. But that decision lies in the hands of the delegates,” he said.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Sports Writers Association (SAM) president Norismadi Abd Manap said the new leadership must establish clear priorities – whether focusing on national squad performance, governance, or grassroots development – as fans were demanding results.
“The narrative among Malaysian football fans is that they are no longer willing to wait. They want to see visible change immediately,” Norismadi said.
Commenting on the presidential race between Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan and Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar, Norismadi anticipated a tight contest given their contrasting strengths in administrative and corporate backgrounds.
He reminded delegates of their heavy responsibility, noting that their votes would define FAM’s image and trajectory following recent investigations by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
“The person holding the pen to vote must think far ahead to determine who truly deserves to lead the FAM ship out of its current situation,” he said.