KUALA LUMPUR – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will take at least three months to review and reform the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) before fresh leadership elections can be held.
Speaking to Scoop, AFC secretary-general Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John said a team led by deputy secretary-general Vahid Kardany would conduct a thorough assessment of FAM’s administration.
“We have informed FAM that we need approximately three months to prepare our report. This assessment involves visiting and reviewing everyone within FAM’s administration,” Windsor said when contacted.
“After the report is completed, we will determine whether the findings require presentation to the congress, changes within the administration, or matters that can be addressed directly by FAM’s secretary-general and staff.”
The review follows the resignation of all members of FAM’s executive committee, announced yesterday by former FAM president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi.
The association is now being managed solely by secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman.
Windsor added that the AFC team will work closely with FAM’s management to implement improvements and ensure the association’s administration is strengthened.
“The evaluation will be comprehensive, covering even the smallest details, to make sure any changes we propose will truly benefit Malaysian football,” he said.
He also stressed that the electoral process itself would be respected.
“The election is not the issue. However, holding a vote immediately after resignations would not help FAM resolve its problems. Before elections, we want to present to the congress the measures needed to make FAM stronger. This may include structural reforms or changes to the statutes to align them with FIFA and AFC standards.”
Windsor emphasised that not everything within FAM is flawed.
“FAM is a century-old organisation. It could not have lasted 100 years if everything was wrong. It is a very robust institution. Our goal is simply to identify gaps and weaknesses and address them through new structures and improvements,” he said. — January 29, 2026