Why should anyone believe FAM will really change after Sept 17?

Malaysian football faces doubts about whether the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) can truly change after electing a new president and executive committee on September 17. The association has undergone significant changes in recent months, including the rewriting of statutes, reduction in the number of executive committee members, and tightening of eligibility rules.

However, a large portion of the previous leadership remains active in the new administration. This raises questions about the credibility of FAM and whether the election truly signifies a new era for Malaysian football. The credibility of FAM was severely damaged by its involvement in falsified documentation used to register foreign players, leading to sanctions from FIFA and a subsequent request by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to uphold the fines and bans.

The association's new statutes are intended to address these issues, but the presence of many former leaders in the new executive committee suggests that the deep-seated problems may not be resolved simply by changing the names on the paperwork. The public must look beyond the election to see if FAM will demonstrate genuine commitment to transparency, accountability, and strong governance.