PETALING JAYA, July 14 — The new president of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin has yet to receive an inspiration concerning the candidate for the association secretary-general’s post.
Hamidin, however, said the announcement on the appointment of the individual who would replace him would be made in the near future.
“I have not yet appointed a new FAM Secretary-General. I have not received an inspiration and I asked Tunku Mahkota (Tunku Ismail) who had also not received an inspiration either.
“In the near future maybe I will announce this,” he told a press conference after the 54th Congress of FAM here today.
Hamidin was declared the seventh FAM president at the 54th Congress today after the Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim resigned in March.
Hamidin, who is also the former secretary-general of FAM, won uncontested after challengers, former Kelantan Football Association (KAFA) president Tan Sri Annuar Musa and National Sports Institute (ISN) chairman Datuk Seri Azim Mohd Zabidi withdrew.
Meanwhile, Hamidin, who described his new task as a serious responsibility, outlined three key areas that would be given priority and immediate attention.
He said the three areas included generating FAM’s financial resources and financing, the performance and improvement of the national team and grassroots development programmes including the National Football Development Programme (PPBN).
“I will detail them later. But I am saying here globally in three years, this is what I’m going to try to realise especially the grassroots development programme.
“I will have more cooperation with the Youth and Sports Minister (Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman) over the PPBN because FAM must take a bigger role as it is the parent body of football in Malaysia,” he said.
Earlier, in his speech at the FAM’s 54th Congress, Hamidin said the five basic things translated into 30 key points would remain his leadership goals.
He said FAM would also undergo a process of structural change in the way it worked and operated emphasising on good governance and transparency.
Additionally, he said that priority would also be given to the development of the new FAM headquarters and national squad training centre in Putrajaya.
On the excellence of the national squad, Hamidin said he had instructed FAM’s technical director Peter De Roo to begin the move with regard to the planning period until 2030.
“The time has come for us to be courageous in setting the target by dreaming of something higher and at the same time willing to face all the possibilities.
“To remain in a comfort zone is no longer an option. After all, there are no gains without pains.
“The success at the AFF Suzuki Cup and SEA Games can no longer be benchmarks or yardsticks but qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup final, qualifying for the Olympics, being in the top eight countries in the Asian Games and qualifying for the under-age Fifa competition should aptly become the ultimate mission now, “he said.
Hamidin added that he would also ensure the smooth running of a professional referee development programme where the recruitment process for the first batch of eight referees would be initiated soon.
He would also hold a meeting with the Department of Labour on a strategic cooperation besides imposing more stringent conditions for any team to participate in local competition in the effort to address the problem of players’ salary backlogs. — Bernama
