FAM President has submitted his resignation, causing turmoil in Malaysian football elite

According to the New Straits Times, the President of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), Mr. Joehari Ayub, submitted his resignation on August 22 due to health reasons, after only nearly 6 months in office. Until now, FAM has remained silent.

Undercurrents in Malaysian football have emerged

The incident of the current FAM President, Mr. Joehari Ayub, being "kicked out" because of "fierce internal fighting" within Malaysian football was confirmed by the New Straits Times and newspapers in this country such as The Star last week.

Now, the matter has taken a shocking turn, with news that Joehari Ayub has officially submitted his resignation. This could mean that FAM Vice President and rival Yusoff Mahadi will be his replacement. However, Yusoff Mahadi has not given a clear explanation, telling reporters recently: "Wait until next week," according to the New Straits Times .

The controversial issue of naturalized Malaysian players of unclear origin may have shaken the FAM leadership.

Photo: Ngoc Linh

Mr. Joehari Ayub last appeared at Wisma FAM (headquarters of the Malaysian football body) on August 11, when he chaired the first special meeting of the executive committee for the 2025 - 2029 term.

Since then, he has been suspiciously absent (not appearing in any photos taken at FAM meetings and events), fueling speculation that he might resign, the New Straits Times reported on August 26.

"It is understood that Mr. Joehari Ayub submitted his resignation on August 22 due to health reasons. Until now, FAM has remained silent," the New Straits Times added.

Mr. Joehari Ayub was only elected as FAM President in February this year for the term from 2025 - 2029. After the election without any competitors, Mr. Joehari Ayub also became the first person from Sabah to become the top leader of Malaysian football, succeeding Mr. Hamidin Mohd Amin.

The early part of Joehari Ayub’s tenure was notable for his massive naturalization campaign of foreign players, many of whom were controversial because of their unclear origins. This created a fierce debate in football in this country, and in many places in Southeast Asia. However, thanks to this naturalization campaign, the Malaysian team became noticeably stronger and had a resounding victory over the Vietnamese team with a score of 4-0 in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10.

FAM needs to speak up

Since the victory over Vietnam, Malaysian football has been experiencing many internal turmoil. Among them, the most prominent issue is whether or not to disclose the origin of naturalized players.

"The unrest has sparked a wave of reactions on social media," the New Straits Times said, adding: "A supporter of Joehari Ayub was outraged. They said that there is no wind, there is no storm. He has just taken office not long ago. We want FAM to explain what happened. Malaysian football belongs to the people, and FAM cannot be silent."

Another suggested setting up a new leadership: "Appoint Khairy Jamaluddin (former Malaysian Youth and Sports Minister) as the new FAM president. He is young, passionate about football, and currently holds no political position. Perhaps he can revive Malaysian football with new ideas and vision."

Meanwhile, some other Malaysian fans called for royal intervention: "Hopefully, TMJ (Mr. Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim) will take over the position of FAM president". In addition, it is proposed that Mr. S. Sivasundram (Vice President of FAM) should be the acting president, because he has a lot of experience and has been with FAM the longest.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chu-tich-fam-da-nop-don-tu-chuc-thuong-tang-bong-da-malaysia-chao-dao-18525082611480112.htm