KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — The Harimau Malaya and the national Under- 23 (U-23) football squad will not be privatised, but instead, a new Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) unit will monitor the performance and management of the national teams.
FAM deputy president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi said the unit was proposed by Johor Regent Tunku Mahkota Ismail, during a meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“There is no plan to privatise the national teams but instead, a special unit will be created for both the national team and the Under-23 (U-23) squad. This unit will report directly to the FAM president (Tan Sri Hamidin Mohd Amin) and the FAM executive committee.
“The reason for this unit is that we need specialisation to take care of the welfare and performance of national team players to ensure they improve. The funds for this will be specifically allocated so that the finances will not be used for other matters,” he told the media after the 12th FAM Executive Meeting for the 2021-2025 term at Wisma FAM today.
Previously, there were media reports suggesting Harimau Malaya could be privatised after Tunku Mahkota Ismail, who is also the owner of Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) FC, shared the system, role, and organisational chart of an independent body on his social media.
The document outlines that the organisation would be headed by a chief sports officer/technical director and would be supported by several officials, including a coaching director, chief operating officer, head coach, strategy and evaluation director, and human resources head.
When asked about the structure of the new unit, Yusoff said FAM is in talks on the matter, and a proposal will be presented to the Prime Minister soon.
“Soon, (Hamidin) will have a more detailed discussion on how this unit will be formed. It will involve only the structure of the unit, and we expect this matter to be resolved before the end of the year,” he added.
— Bernama
