Bung Moktar steps down as Sabah Football Association president

KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin (pic) has quit as the Sabah Football Association (Safa) president on Sunday (Jan 8).

This comes some 48 hours after the Sabah Barisan Nasional chief announced his party’s withdrawal from Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor’s Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)-led government.

Bung Moktar, who is also Sabah Deputy Chief Minister, had held the Safa presidency since June 2021.

He was the acting president since December 2020, some three months after Sabah Barisan, together with the loose GRS pact that also comprised Parti Bersatu Sabah, defeated the Warisan-Pakatan Harapan pact in the state election.

In a statement, Bung Moktar said he was stepping down on free will and wanted “to fully concentrate on his political career”.

He said despite the ups and downs with the Safa-managed Sabah Football Club (Sabah FC), which was competing in the Malaysia Super League, he was happy with the team’s overall performance as well as the development he had brought about, particularly in grassroots football.

“I am contented because more or less there have been changes in the Safa management and some successes for Sabah FC although it has not reached a satisfactory level.

“Support from all quarters is needed to run a football body including Sabah FC, especially from the state leadership which should have the zeal to help Safa progress,” he said.

Bung Moktar said he would submit his official resignation letter will to the Safa secretary-general soon.

“I hope all the fans will continue supporting the Sabah team as well as my successor later,” he said.

On Friday (Jan 6), Bung Moktar announced that Sabah Barisan withdrawing support for the 27-month old coalition state government.

He said the party had lost its confidence in Hajiji to remain as Chief Minister after he quit Bersatu to become a direct GRS member.