KUALA LUMPUR – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has called on the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to reform its internal culture if Malaysian football is to compete at the international level.
Speaking at a press conference at Wisma FAM today, AFC secretary-general Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John said the main challenge facing FAM is its organisational “culture”.
He explained that there is currently a “culture of conformity without any pressure,” where staff follow procedures without questioning or challenging existing practices.
“To put it simply, the culture of the organisation needs to change,” he said.
Windsor highlighted Japan as a model for Malaysian football to emulate.
“Before Japan started professional football, membership was limited to prefectures. Today, it includes clubs, coaches, referees and professional football bodies. That is what inclusiveness looks like,” he said.
He also stressed the role of women in governance, noting that Japanese football associations now have multiple women in senior decision-making positions.
“Women are not just members; they are vice-presidents. They have five women in fixed positions, and they can also run for other roles. That is modern governance,” he said.
He added that improving membership involvement, including top clubs, referees and coaches will strengthen Malaysian football.
“One of the reasons we believe a stronger membership base improves the level of FAM is because it brings in professionalism and greater participation,” he said.
On FAM’s ongoing governance audit, Windsor praised the association’s transparency and cooperation.
“FAM has totally opened its books. They allowed us access to contracts, documents and all records. They are not hiding anything, and that speaks volumes about their willingness to improve,” he said.
The AFC audit team is reviewing processes, staff roles and internal workflows to identify weaknesses within FAM as part of efforts to strengthen the national body’s governance and operational framework.
Windsor said the focus is on correcting operational procedures rather than assigning blame.
“We want to make sure the workflow is correct. Where is the breakdown? What should have been done? That is what AFC and FIFA are interested in,” he explained.
It is understood that AFC is targeting the completion of its comprehensive quality audit of FAM before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The audit, conducted in collaboration with FIFA, began in February and involves more than 20 specialists from around the world.
The assessment is led by AFC deputy secretary-general Vahid Kardany and covers several critical areas, including the potential expansion of FAM’s membership. – March 16, 2026