New FAM president pledges to rebuild trust, strengthen leadership

 

Newly elected Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Ab Ghani Hassan has made restoring stakeholders’ and fans’ confidence and strengthening FAM’s governance his top priority.

He said the new FAM leadership will review and address every issue highlighted in the recent Asian Football Confederation (AFC) audit.

Ghani, who is also Malaysian Football League (MFL) president, said more details will be shared after the first FAM executive committee meeting, expected soon.

“From there, we will move to ensure that over the next two and a half years, we do our best to effect change and reform in national football.

“First, there is a crisis of confidence. We must overcome this to win back the trust of all stakeholders, football supporters, and Malaysians,” he told a press conference after the second FAM extraordinary general meeting (EGM) 2026 in Petaling Jaya today.

Ghani said he will meet FAM general secretary Noor Azman Rahman and all units within the governing body before deciding on administrative or secretariat changes.

Regarding the FAM Roadmap (F:30) launched in 2018, Ghani said the plan will continue but be updated to suit current needs.

“The F:30 is an established blueprint. With four years remaining, it may be improved because current conditions differ from when it was drafted. However, the framework and key indicators are already in place,” he said.

Asean first, then Asia

He named regaining Asean dominance as a top target for the Harimau Malaya squad under the new FAM leadership.

Malaysia should aim to progress in Asia, but reclaiming regional dominance in Asean comes first, he said.

“The expectation remains as before, for our national football team to achieve the highest standing, particularly at the Asean level. Moving up in Asia is a goal, but if possible, we want to dominate Asean once again, Insya-Allah,” he said.

He added that restoring Malaysian football’s former glory will require full support from all stakeholders, not just FAM.

Earlier, Ghani secured the FAM presidency after winning a majority in the FAM executive committee election for the 2025-2029 term.

At the EGM, Ghani received 20 votes, defeating Selangor FA deputy president Shahril Mokhtar, who received five.

Ghani's election ended a five-month administrative vacuum, during which FAM operated without an executive committee and carried on only under Noor Azman.

- Bernama