KUALA LUMPUR: National football legends Datuk Dollah Salleh and Datuk Zainal Abidin Hassan are determined to use their vast experience to help restore the country’s footballing reputation, seeing it as their way of giving back in the twilight of their careers.
Dollah made history as the first former national footballer to be appointed vice-president of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) for the 2025-2029 term.
He will work alongside three other individuals elected in yesterday’s FAM 61st electoral congress namely Datuk Mohd Azhar Jamaluddin, N. Saaran, and Datuk Seri Rosmadi Ismail, who retained his position from the previous term.
Dollah admitted he was excited as he had already discussed plans to develop Malaysian football with his close friend, Zainal. However, he chose not to reveal any details for now, preferring to wait until they are put into action.
“I was quite nervous when many said I was almost certain to win this election, but now that I have been chosen, I will give my all and use my football experience to help FAM,” said Dollah, who was among the most popular candidates in this FAM election.
He is also open to taking on the role of team manager for Harimau Malaya, especially with the national squad set to compete in the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers in March.
“If I am entrusted with the role, I will certainly use my more than 30 years of football experience to assist the national squad. Even if it is not much, I hope I can contribute in some way to FAM and fulfil the hopes of Malaysians,” he added.
Meanwhile, Zainal, who contested for a seat in the FAM Executive Committee, secured the highest number of votes with 18. He will be working alongside seven other elected members who also received the delegates’ mandate.
After enjoying illustrious careers as players, they continued serving as coaches and managers but never expected to hold top leadership positions in FAM.
“Alhamdulillah, I am happy and truly surprised to receive full support. It shows the high level of trust placed in me, and with that trust comes many responsibilities ahead.
“This is a new chapter for me in football. After being a player, coach, and manager, I am now taking on a broader role in FAM’s executive leadership.
“At this stage, they still value our experience, especially in the technical aspects. Dollah and I are fully prepared to contribute towards the development of Malaysian football,” said Zainal.
At the same time, newly elected president Datuk Mohd Joehari Mohd Ayub is well aware of the pressing issues he must tackle to restore the nation’s footballing reputation.
Among the major challenges facing the Malaysian league are salary arrears affecting most teams, the need for a well-structured league schedule, and the drastic decline in stadium attendance, which has contributed to financial struggles for many clubs.
Joehari officially assumed the presidency yesterday, taking over from Tan Sri Hamidin Mohd Amin, who opted not to seek re-election during the FAM congress.
“I will conduct a thorough review because we know the current state of the Malaysian league is far from ideal.
“This is one of our key priorities, and we will work closely with the Malaysian Football League (MFL) to improve the league’s structure.
“The plans are already in place, but in the immediate future, I want to reassess FAM’s structure and the league format to enhance and strengthen our football ecosystem.
“My main goal is to act swiftly and collaborate with the new management of the Harimau Malaya squad,” he said.
