KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 — Federal ministers are not allowed to lead sports associations in the country due to a Cabinet ruling, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.

Khairy’s name was mentioned as a possible president of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) in Utusan Malaysia’s Awang Selamat column today, amid an ongoing spat between Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and Kelantan Football Association (Kafa) adviser Tan Sri Annuar Musa.

"If a minister wants to become the head of a sports association, he would need to obtain a special permission from the prime minister or Cabinet,” he told reporters after closing a Bank Negara financial carnival here today.

Tunku Ismail recently alleged that the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) was being forced via its subsidiaries to sponsor the Kelantan football team, The Red Warriors.

Annuar is MARA chairman and was also Kafa president until his resignation last November.

Annuar has denied the allegations and has agreed to provide the necessary documents to Putrajaya for further perusal.