AFC-proposed Reforms Best Opportunity To Modernise FAM - Hamidin

PETALING JAYA, June 4 (Bernama) -- Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) honorary president Tan Sri Hamidin Mohd Amin has described the reforms proposed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) through amendments to the FAM statutes as the best opportunity for the national governing body to strengthen and modernise its governance structure.

He said the reforms to FAM’s statutes should not be interpreted as the national football governing body’s failure to comply with its previous statutes. 

He added that FAM always operated in accordance with its existing statutes while making improvements from time to time.

“I need to give the media a clearer picture. What we (FAM) have done before, as Datuk Seri Windsor (AFC secretary-general Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John) said, is an ongoing process. We follow the statutes. We have nothing against the statutes.

“But today there are some things that may be from the statute that are no longer in line with current developments, but to say we did not follow the statutes (is not correct), we follow the statutes,” he told a media conference after the FAM Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) here today.

He said this when asked to comment on whether FAM was aware of the weaknesses outlined in the AFC audit report that led to the proposed amendments to the statutes, as well as the steps that had been taken previously to address them.

Elaborating, Hamidin said the amendments to the statutes came at the right time for FAM to implement comprehensive changes towards a more modern and effective governance model.

“With this reform, this is the best time for FAM to carry out comprehensive changes towards a new governance structure,” he said.

Earlier, all FAM affiliates unanimously approved amendments to the FAM Statutes proposed by the AFC at the FAM EGM.

The AFC-proposed draft statutes, following an audit of FAM’s administration, aimed to strengthen governance and ensure positive reforms within the national football governing body.

Among the key proposals are the abolition of the deputy president’s post, the reduction of vice-presidential seats to three and the restructuring of the FAM Executive Committee (Exco).

The 77-page draft statutes also proposed an expansion of FAM’s affiliate membership, including granting Super League clubs automatic affiliate status and voting rights at congresses, subject to the condition that they are separate entities from state football associations.

The FAM Annual Congress scheduled for September will see the election of new leadership for the national football governing body, with attention focused on the posts of rresident and three vice-presidents.

-- BERNAMA