PETALING JAYA: Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim has made it clear that he has no intention of returning to helm the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
Tunku Ismail, who is currently assisting FAM and the national team in an advisory capacity, said he preferred to contribute from the outside as he has other official duties that require his full attention.
He also revealed that the Malaysian government and the Youth and Sports Ministry had met with him to discuss football development matters, particularly in identifying heritage players with the potential to don the national jersey.
“Well, because FAM already has a president. I was there before, and I feel that in terms of my time, I cannot be there 24/7 because of all my other official duties.
"Therefore, we trust that other individuals are qualified and can run the Football Association of Malaysia better, because a president needs to be full-time.
“I think Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin, when he was the president, did a very good job because he was fully committed, whether it was with the youth team or the senior team.
“I have a lot of other responsibilities, so obviously I cannot be there. And besides, I’m not even interested in being there," said Tunku Ismail on Saturday (Oct 25).
He also dismissed suggestions that his involvement with FAM could be seen as a conflict of interest, given his ownership of Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT).
“I don’t think it’s a conflict of interest because everyone should be helping FAM in the same way, whether they’re from other clubs or affiliates.
“Now, conflict of interest — what conflict? What interest can I possibly have in the national team? Getting involved with the national team is already a burden, because when something goes wrong, people will hold you accountable. But I’m doing this out of goodwill. It’s about my relationship with the people in FAM and within Malaysian football," he added.
For the record, Tunku Ismail previously served as FAM president from 2017 to 2018.
At present, FAM does not have a president following the resignation of Datuk Mohd Joehari Mohd Ayub on Aug 26, with Datuk Yusof Mahadi currently serving as the acting president.
