PETALING JAYA: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) are ready to help the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) get back on the right path to be well prepared for the next 100 years, following the governing body’s decisive move to reset their leadership and governance structure.
AFC general secretary Datuk Seri Windsor Paul said FAM’s foundation remains strong, stressing that the reforms are aimed at strengthening the organisation rather than fixing a broken system.
“FAM are still a solid organisation and are approaching their centenary in September. Not everything is wrong,” said Windsor.
“But there are weaknesses that must be overcome. Our objective is to modernise FAM and ensure they are well-prepared for the next 100 years of Malaysian football.”
Windsor also praised FAM’s executive committee for their collective resignation, describing it as a selfless act carried out in the best interests of the game.
He admitted he was both surprised and impressed by the manner in which the committee members stepped aside.
“It’s good to see such a collective and selfless resignation carried out in the name of solidarity and Malaysian football,” he said.
“They placed the image of the association above personal interests and for that, they deserve credit.”
Outlining AFC’s role in guiding FAM through their transition, Windsor stressed that while electoral processes and statutory obligations would be fully respected, the immediate focus is on conducting a comprehensive organisational review before any elections are held.
“The electoral process and statutory obligations will be fully respected – that is not the issue,” he said.
“However, we want to conduct a full organisational review before holding elections. Elections should not be carried out simply for the sake of replacing individuals.”
He explained that FAM are currently in the first phase of a structured reform programme led by the AFC, beginning with a diagnostic assessment to identify governance gaps and structural shortcomings.
“We need to ensure the timeline makes sense and that best practices are followed. Right now, we are in the diagnostic phase,” said Windsor.
“Just like a doctor needs to run tests before treating a patient, we must first identify the gaps within FAM before proposing solutions to Congress.”
A key pillar of the reform process, he added, is the modernisation of FAM’s statutes to align with AFC and FIFA governance standards, particularly in ensuring a clear separation of powers between elected officials and the administration.
“Our aim is to modernise the statutes in line with AFC and FIFA standards. For example, at the AFC and FIFA, elected presidents do not sign legal or financial documents; those responsibilities lie with the administration. This is the level of governance we want to introduce at FAM.”
