KUALA LUMPUR – A viral video has been circulating on social media showing the new headquarters of the Asean Football Federation (AFF), located in Putrajaya, which appears to have been abandoned since its completion in 2021.
The 83-second video, posted by Carlos Basri, who is heavily involved in volunteer work in the local community in Putrajaya, shows the abandoned building in a poor state, surrounded by bushes and rubbish across the premises.
For context, the five-storey building was proposed by the late Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, who was also the former AFF president (2011-2019), in an effort to provide the federation with a building of its own.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place in 2015, conducted by His Royal Highness Tengku Abdullah Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah.
The project, which is believed to cost RM15 million, was built through a joint partnership with Nadi Cergas Development Sdn Bhd and designed with a gross floor area of approximately 26,000 sq ft.
The headquarters, which serves as the AFF’s permanent home, includes lecture and seminar rooms as well as office suites.
The building, which fronts the Higher Education Ministry, is situated near the Putrajaya International Convention Centre and the five-star Pullman Lakeside Hotel.
When Scoop contacted AFF about their plans to move into their new administrative office in Putrajaya, the federation confirmed they would be relocating within the next few months.
“The AFF has been informed by the developer of the building that the final rectification and touch-up work is underway.
“AFF is looking forward to the building’s handover, which is scheduled to take place in the next few months,” said AFF.
Previously, the AFF headquarters was located at a landed property in Petaling Jaya, which is now being rented by a public relations company.
The AFF is an organisation within the Asian Football Confederation and is an international governing body of association football, futsal, and beach soccer in Southeast Asia.
It consists of the federations of Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Among the most prominent football competitions hosted by the football body is the Asean Mitsubishi Electric Cup, which is held every two years. – May 18, 2024