FAM election rocked by questions over chairman's legal eligibility
KUALA LUMPUR: The FA of Malaysia (FAM) could face legal challenges ahead of its extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Sept 17 over the eligibility of its Electoral Committee chairman.
The Malaysian Football Association (FAM) is currently facing potential legal challenges prior to its upcoming extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on September 17. The controversy centers around the eligibility of the Electoral Committee chairman, Professor Datuk Dr Abdullah Mohamad Said. According to Article 4, Paragraph 5 of the FAM Electoral Code 2026, endorsed by the organization's congress on June 4, the chairman and deputy chairman of the committee must be qualified to practice law.
However, Abdullah's qualifications do not include any legal training. As a former deputy vice-chancellor of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), he holds doctorates and master's degrees in Town and Regional Planning and Environmental Studies. The introduction of the 2026 Code has altered the baseline requirements for the post, with legal expert Nik Erman noting that the chairperson must be qualified to practice law, not merely hold a law degree.
Abdullah recently approved the official nomination acceptance letters for candidates, setting up a contest between Malaysian Football League president Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan and FA of Selangor deputy president Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar for the FAM top post. Neither the nomination process nor the election results are immune to legal challenges due to the apparent lack of legal qualifications in Abdullah's background.
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