National body must belong to affiliates to develop national football - Annuar Musa

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) must belong to its affiliated bodies if football is to progress and known at the international level.

Ketereh Member of Parliament Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the parent body must be helmed by a leader who is truly well-versed about the sport and directly involved and not headed by an individual who is not from among the affiliated members.

"To me, one of the presidents of the affiliated association should lead FAM, and the parent body must be headed by someone who is handling football. FAM should not be led by someone who is outside the affiliated body.

"This, people may say is sensitive but it is the reality. To me, I do not want to hide because I think one of the presidents of the affiliated associations must be the president of FAM," he said after launching the Kota Baharu Polytechnic Sports Festival here, Wednesday.

Annuar who is also former FAM deputy president and ex-Kelantan Football Association president said the government was ready to carry out a transformation in the sport by preparing a blueprint and setting up a special committee under the Youth and Sports Ministry, but stressed that at the same time FAM must also change so that the aspiration could be realised.

"As someone who had been involved with FAM, I am of the view that the management of Malaysian football must change, starting from the top, but this is up to the affiliated bodies to act.

"If we truly want to progress, the government already has a blueprint and a committee but it is FAM itself which must change first..the government can only help," he said.

As such, he hoped affiliates would make a wise choice in the selection of FAM office bearers to decide the direction of the development of national football.

"Ensure FAM belongs to the affiliates, because the affiliated bodies have many problems but not heeded by the parent body, always sidelined.

"Many problems in the states are not given due attention and the FAM often regarded problems afflicting its affiliates as trifling," he said.