Sultan Ibrahim consents to son Tunku Ismail going for top FAM post

JOHOR BAHRU: The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, has consented to his son, Tunku Mahkota Tunku Ismail, contesting the post of Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president in the elections on March 25.

The decision was made during a closed- door meeting for about an hour between Sultan Ibrahim and the representatives of 14 FAM affiliates at Istana Pasir Pelangi here yesterday.

The affiliates were the football associations ( FA) of Melaka, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Terengganu, Kedah, Perlis, Felda and the Malaysian Armed Forces as well as the Chinese FA, Malay FA, Indian FA and the Football Coaches Association Malaysia.

Six other associations, namely Kelantan, Pahang, Negeri Sembi lan, Royal Malaysian Police, Perak and Penang, did not attend the meeting.

Datuk Wira Mohd Yusof Mahadi, a representative of the affiliates, said he did not foresee any problem for Tunku Ismail to contest the post.

“His Royal Highness ( Sultan Ibrahim) actually wanted to know our determination and support for his son to contest the post, and he agreed after he was satisfied.

“We also assume that with the decision, Tunku Ismai l agrees to contest because all along he often mentioned that the obstacle to him accepting the nomination to contest was because he did not have the consent of his father,” he said to reporters after the meeting.

Mohd Yusof, who is Melaka Football Association deputy president , said that at the meet ing , Sultan Ibrahim advised the affiliates against setting a specific time frame for his son to bring reforms to FAM.

“He wants Tunku Ismail to be given time to rebuild the organisation. It looks like our efforts in the last several months to see Tunku Ismail heading FAM is going to materialise,” he said.