KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 (Bernama) -- Reform and governance are expected to take centre stage as Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan and Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar go head-to-head for the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president’s post at tomorrow’s Extraordinary Congress for the remainder of the 2025-2029 term.
National football observer Ahmad Muzakkir Hamid said both candidates had their own stature and backgrounds, but would bring different experiences that could shape their respective approaches if given the mandate to lead the national governing body.
He said Ab Ghani has extensive experience in football administration, including serving in the FAM leadership and heading the Malaysian Football League (MFL), while Shahril brings with him corporate experience in addition to his previous involvement in football administration.
“Ab Ghani started from a long time ago, then moved up to the MFL. Even before MFL, he was already in FAM. So, in terms of football experience, he has an advantage because he has been in this field for a long time.
“Shahril, meanwhile, is well know in the corporate world and has management experience from that sector. He has achieved success in the corporate field and has also been involved in football leadership. So, the question is to what extent that experience can be applied to FAM,” he told Bernama today.
Ahmad Muzakkir said Ab Ghani’s vast experience in the football ecosystem could be an asset to understanding the ins and outs of the national governing body’s administration, including its relations with affiliated bodies and stakeholders in domestic football.
However, he said bigger challenges await any candidate who is chosen, especially in efforts to restore the confidence of the International Football Federation (FIFA) following the issue involving seven heritage players, as well as to comprehensively address previously identified governance weaknesses.
He said the three issues that should be prioritised during the first six months of the new administration were closing identified governance weaknesses, strengthening grassroots development and improving Malaysia’s standing in international football.
Ahmad Muzakkir said change should not be confined to the president’s office, but must extend to the Executive Committee (Exco) and the entire FAM administrative structure to ensure the reform agenda is translated into action.
“The president needs to work together with a team, including the Exco members, so that everyone can have a positive impact in elevating our football.
Meanwhile, national football legend Shahril Arshat believes that whoever is given the mandate to helm FAM needs to ensure the country’s football development plans continue consistently and are not changed every time there is a change in leadership.
“For me, whatever the long-term plans are, whoever comes into power, they must be continued and improved. We should not keep changing them. This does not mean the plans need to be completely changed, but improvements need to be made so that the development momentum is maintained,” he said.
He added that FAM should also pay attention to efforts to increase the value of Malaysia League (M-League), address financial issues, raise the league’s competitiveness and ensure the development league progresses in line with the need to produce quality players.
Shahril also emphasised that the effectiveness of the new administration cannot depend solely on the president, but requires the cooperation of all congress members, the Exco and FAM management.
He said that unity within the leadership structure was crucial to ensuring every plan could be implemented without being hampered by differences in internal direction.
On Sept 3, FAM announced that MFL president Ab Ghani and Selangor Football Association (FAS) deputy president Shahril would be involved in a straight fight for the national governing body’s president’s post.
All eyes will also be on the contests for Vice-Presidents 1 and 3, as well as Executive Committee members representing state football associations (FA) and clubs (FC).
-- BERNAMA