FAM tight-lipped over eligibility of election chief Abdullah
KUALA LUMPUR: The FA of Malaysia (FAM) has yet to respond to questions over the eligibility of its electoral committee chairman, Professor Datuk Dr Abdullah Mohamad Said, ahead of the national body’s Sept 17 election.
The Malaysian Football Association (FAM) remains silent on the eligibility of its electoral committee chairman, Professor Datuk Dr Abdullah Mohamad Said, prior to the September 17th election. Attempts by Timesport to secure clarification regarding Abdullah's compliance with the recently enacted FAM Electoral Code (2026 edition) have gone unanswered.
The controversy stems from Article 4, Paragraph 5 of the code, adopted by the FAM congress on June 4th, which stipulates that the chairperson and deputy chairperson of the electoral committee must be qualified to practice law. Public records indicate that Abdullah, formerly a deputy vice-chancellor at Universiti Teknologi MARA, holds qualifications in Town and Regional Planning and Environmental Studies, but lacks any documented qualification affirming his legal practice eligibility.
Serving as the chair of the FAM electoral committee since 2020, his term was extended by the congress last year. Currently, he is managing the electoral process for the September 17th poll. Abdullah recently endorsed the nomination acceptance letters for the candidates competing in the election, amplifying concerns about the committee's adherence to the new code's stipulations.
Sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli suggested that such oversight should not be attributed to Abdullah, emphasizing that his integrity and competence are not being questioned. He attributed the responsibility to FAM and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to ensure full compliance with the revised regulations, warning that a dissatisfied candidate or affiliate might challenge the election on technical grounds.
The AFC, too, has been approached for clarification. AFC's general-secretary, Datuk Seri Windsor Paul, declined to comment when approached by Timesport on Monday. The September 17th election will see the MFL president, Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan, and the FAS deputy president, Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar, vying for the vacant FAM presidency, with the unresolved question of Abdullah's eligibility still hanging in the balance.
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