KUALA LUMPUR — The Harimau Malaya and the national Under-23 (U-23) football team will not be privatised but instead, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) will form a new unit dedicated to specifically monitor the performance and management of national football teams.
FAM deputy president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi said the idea for the formation of this unit was proposed by the Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, 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 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.
Previous media reports suggested that Harimau Malaya could be privatised after Tunku Ismail, who is also the owner of the 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 (CSO) or technical director and would be supported by several officials, including a coaching director, chief operating officer, head coach, strategy and evaluation director, and head of human resources.
When asked about the structure of the new unit, Yusoff said that FAM is currently in discussions, and a proposal will be presented to the prime minister in the near future.
“Soon, Tan Sri 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. — October 7, 2024