An open letter to FA of Malaysia delegates

DEAR Tan Sri, Datuk Seri, Datuk, ladies and gentlemen,

Just two days ago, on Sept 11, 2026, FA of Malaysia turned 100.

A century of existence should be a celebration of resilience, a proud milestone.

But in four days, a group of individuals shall gather to decide whether the governing body are prepared to move forward to a new era that will be remembered as a rebirth. Or possibly a requiem.

Unlike the 2025 elections involving 18 affiliates (Kelantan FA and Perlis FA were suspended), this time 25 individuals hold the ballots. They are Kedah FA’s Radhi Mat Din, Penang FA’s Mohd Azizudin Mohd Shariff, Penang FC’s Daniel Gooi Zi Sen, Perak FA’s Datuk Mohd Azhar Jamaluddin, Selangor FA’s Datuk Seri Dr Shahril Mokhtar, Kuala Lumpur FA’s Syed Yazid Syed Omar, Negeri Sembilan FA’s Tunku Syed Razman Tunku Syed Idrus, Melaka FA’s Datuk Mohd Saiful Mat Sapri, Melaka FC’s Muhd Najmi Muhd Nordin, Johor FA’s Kapten Mohd Anizam Jamian, JDT FC’s Alistair Edwards, Pahang FA’s Abd Razak Wahab, Terengganu FA’s Mohd Sekanther Abdul Hameed, Sarawak FA’s Datuk Fazzrudin Abd Rahman, Sabah FA’s Datuk Awang Kadin Tang, ATM FA’s Lt Kol Ismazaini Ismail, PDRM FA’s ACP Hammizamri Abdullah, Malaysian Malays FA’s Mohd Firdaus Mohamed, Malaysian Chinese FA’s Datuk Ng Chong Hoon, MIFA’s Datuk S. Sivasundaram, Football Coaches’ Association’s Datuk Ong Kim Swee, Star City FC’s Datuk Syed Mahadi Syed Hassan, UM Damansara FC’s Afizal Abu Othman, Kelantan RW FC’s Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun, and MBSJ’s Mohd Zulkurnain Che Ali.

Presidential candidate, Shahril and Azhar who was elected vice-president last year, clashed publicly over FAM’s culture of conformity. Shahril insisted this was not a baseless political jab but a formal audit finding.

Let us recall: AFC deputy general secretary Vahid Kardany identified in March, conformity as a key challenge – an environment where subordinates blindly agree with top leadership instead of offering dissent or checks and balances.

His audit team found FAM crippled by fear, power concentrated in a few hands, and committees multiplying without accountability, as disclosed during the FAM Congress in June.

Co-incidentally FIFA published an updated documentation and guidance on player eligibility and change of association a day before FAM’s centenary, which reinforced the principle that nationality alone is insufficient; lineage must be genuine, not forged. The Tun Raus report confirmed governance rot, falsified documents, and compromised integrity.

So the coming FAM elections on Thursday, a day after Malaysia celebrates its 63rd anniversary, is not merely about choosing a president – they are a referendum on whether Malaysian football can finally embrace transparency, accountability and reform.

After FIFA’s damning sanctions following the seven heritage players in 2025 and the mass resignation of the exco in January 2026, the stakes have changed.

This election must be fair, preferably monitored physically by a team from FIFA’s headquarters, not even AFC, not just for the sake of governance, but for the soul of Malaysian football.

We can never rediscover the days of yore, when FAM were short on cash but long on integrity.

The Council included men of stature – administrators who embodied service, not self interest. Today, football has drifted from terraces to boardrooms, hijacked by patronage and opaque governance.

The humiliation of watching the national team collapse under mismanagement is not just institutional but emotional – the betrayal of a nation’s passion.

So, delegates, the choice is yours. You can elect advocates of the culture of conformity.

Or you can elect change, however imperfect, and at least attempt to honour the centenary with dignity.

Nevertheless, let me congratulate the incoming Cabinet – president: Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan, vice-president I: Datuk Seri Rosmadi Ismail, vice-president II: Datuk Saaran Nadarajah, Exco FA: Azizudin, Azhar, Datuk Mohd Hisamuddin Yahaya, Exco FC: Datuk Kamaruddin Hassan, Syed Mahadi, expert representative: Datuk Zainal Abidin Hassan and women’s representative: Datuk Suraya Yacob

Tan Sri Hamidin Mohd Amin shall remain as honorary president, ensconced on the fourth floor of Wisma FAM – continuing to serve in the building he has never left since the day he was appointed as general secretary of FAM in 2013.

A gentle reminder – Datuk Mohd Joehari Mohd Ayub – served only six months and 11 days as the president at the beginning of the term 2025-2029, mind you.

Respectfully yours,

Rizal Hashim

Malaysia

*This letter represents the personal opinion of the writer and is not reflective of any organisation, institution, or entity with which he is or has been associated.