Legacy of a royal helming FAM to continue with TMJ in the race

TMJ, the owner of Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT), who had repeatedly voiced his intention to stay away from contesting the top post was however, forced to change his mind after a royal decree from the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar who is his father, to accept the challenge and change the landscape of football in the country.

The decree from Sultan Ibrahim is said to have come after a strong delegation from the FAM had an audience with the Sultan at his palace recently.

Football fans in the country and sports enthusiasts had backed TMJ to spearhead the country's governing body for football following the remarkable success achieved by TMJ, who is also the owner of Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT), in transforming JDT from an average team in the country to emerge as a leading club side in Asia as well as creating local football history by becoming the first team to win the AFC Cup.

FAM secretary-general Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin had announced that TMJ had already confirmed his candidacy and accepted nominations for the post when the deadline for nominations closed at 5pm today.

Hamidin when making the announcement said TMJ would be challenged by former FAM deputy president and Kelantan Football Association (KAFA) advisor Tan Sri Annuar Musa since two other leading candidates did not confirm their candidacy.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and former Home Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat who were tipped to join the race did not confirm their candidacy when the deadline ended, he said.

The FAM Congress was brought forward from 2018 to March 23, this year, following the decision by incumbent president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah to step down, after having taken over from his father Sultan Ahmad Shah, the Sultan of Pahang.