The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has proposed that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) resume direct management of the Harimau Malaya national team as part of a broader governance reform exercise.
AFC secretary-general Windsor Paul John said the recommendation was contained in a governance audit report presented to FAM during its Extraordinary Congress in Petaling Jaya today.
He said management of the national team should be placed under FAM’s National Team Committee to ensure a clearer administrative structure and accountability.
“Return it to FAM. The National Team Committee should manage it, meaning FAM must be responsible for managing it, just as it did before,” he told reporters.
The proposal comes after Harimau Malaya underwent a restructuring process that introduced professional management, including the appointment of Rob Friend as chief executive officer to strengthen operations and development of the national squad.
The AFC audit also formed the basis for several amendments to FAM’s statutes aimed at improving governance within the association. The proposed changes were unanimously approved by FAM affiliates at the congress.
Among the key reforms are the abolition of the deputy president’s position, a reduction in vice-president posts to three and a restructuring of the FAM Executive Committee.
The audit assessed 11 operational areas, including governance, finance, human resources, communications, marketing, competitions and performance development.
According to the AFC, most of FAM’s operational areas were rated at Level 2, or Pre-Intermediate, indicating there remains room for improvement across various aspects of administration and organisational management.
