The year starts with a bang. No, it’s not about smashing decades-old records or climbing up the world rankings.
It is the time of the year when officialdom takes centre stage. The road to ‘gold’ is by becoming the president of the FA of Malaysia (FAM) or the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM). The perks of being on that ‘podium’ – bragging rights and the ability to rub shoulders with who’s who in Putrajaya and beyond.
However, the road to the ‘finals’ in Wisma FAM and Wisma OCM is certainly turning out to be an interesting affair.
All eyes are on football, wondering who will take over the reins after Tan Sri Hamidin Amin announced that he would not contest for the top post in the upcoming elections.
Allegations of a preferred line-up in FAM have surfaced. There are those who questioned FAM’s suspensions of Kelantan FA (KAFA) and Perlis FA, claiming there is more to it than meets the eye. FAM’s internal dispute committee looked into complaints regarding KAFA’s congress-cum-elections for the 2024–2028 term, and had deemed it to be invalid. Perlis FA’s suspension was linked to unpaid wages and compensation owed to former Swansea City player Matt Holland, who served as the state FA’s football director in 2019. Why only take action now, and not earlier?
Hamidin is also OCM deputy president, and it remains to be seen if he will go up against Tan Sri Norza Zakaria for the top post. It is understood that a “gentleman’s agreement” was struck between both individuals – that Norza would serve another term before passing the baton. But as politicians are wont to say, anything can happen in the eleventh hour.
Now there are also whispers of “outside” interference, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that the elected presidents will be able to play ball with the ‘administration.’
The drama in football has got some fans urging candidates to reveal their manifestos. While noble, it will be nothing but a sheer waste of time.
This is common in politics – where grandiose promises are made prior to the polls, but when in power, those promises are swept by the wayside. While the people vote for their representatives to form the government of the day, the same cannot be said about sporting bodies, where the affiliates make that decision. So, parading a solid manifesto to the fans will mean nothing if the candidate is not in the good books of the affiliate members.
So now, potential candidates will do a bit of chest-thumping, claiming to be the best person for the job but not providing a sneak peek into their plans and the means to achieve their goals. In short, it’s a whole lot of hot air.
For there to be accountability, it is the affiliates themselves who need to ask what the candidates bring to the table. For that to happen, the affiliates must adopt the same approach within their respective organisations.
As such, before demanding change at the very top, it’s best to change what’s within our reach.
