FAS heading in the right direction

WITH just over a month on the job, FA of Selangor (FAS) president Datuk Subahan Kamal has managed to offer changes and also solve several issues for the betterment of the association.

Yesterday, Subahan announced that FAS’ integrity committee will be an independent entity headed by Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki.

Previously, the integrity committee was handled by the FAS executive committee.

“Azam will bring his own people into the committee. It is in line with the call by FA of Malaysia (FAM) president Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim for football to be run professionally by people with integrity,” said Subahan in Sepang yesterday.

“The integrity committee will have sessions from time-to-time where MACC officials will have talks with players and officials….a move to keep them on their toes.

“I think FAS are one of the first associations to have an independent integrity committee.”

The recent move by former Selangor coach Zainal Abidin Hassan to Penang was also initiated by Subahan.

Zainal, who signed a two-year contract in 2016. was rested by the previous Selangor management last August for poor results. The former international was paid only until last October.

“I met Penang FA president Zairil Khir Johari to work on a solution for Zainal. The previous regime of FAS just left and washed their hands without solving many issues.

“After a solution was reached, Zainal terminated his contract with Selangor and joined Penang recently. We will settle Zainal’s salary from November to February.

“As for the players, who did not receive their salaries and bonuses last November, we will settle them.

“I am saddened with the previous management as they did not do anything to solve salary issues. They left everything hanging.

“Being a responsible president and exco, we will settle everything in due course,” said Subahan, who is also the FAM deputy president.

FAS have also requested for their legal committee chairman Datuk Lim Thean Shiang to look into the association’s statutes.

“In the previous exco meeting, we decided that our statutes should be re-looked as a lot of things are outdated.

“We will look into the recommendations made by the Raja Muda Selangor Tengku Amir Shah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah last month and try to make the amendments.

“The changes will be presented in the next exco meeting,” Subahan added.

Meanwhile, FAM’s first exco meeting under Tunku Ismail will be held in Sabah on April 8.