FAM’s award nomination and the AFC’s curious yardstick

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has been shortlisted for the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) Member Association of the Year (Gold) award. This designation comes at a time when Malaysian football has been grappling with governance, eligibility, and accountability issues. The award ceremony will take place on November 19 in Bangkok. FAM is competing against the FA of Hong Kong, China Limited, and the All India Football Federation.

The AFC's criteria for the award include grassroots development, youth competitions, and hosting events. However, the details of how governance and accountability are weighted in the selection process remain unclear. This lack of transparency raises questions about how FAM's institutional weaknesses are factored into the assessment.

The naturalization scandal and its subsequent fallout have damaged confidence in Malaysian football, while FIFA’s sanctions over the eligibility case have exposed serious failures within the national association. In September, the extraordinary congress of FAM brought another test as concerns were raised about the electoral committee chairman's qualifications.

The electoral code of FAM stipulates that the chairperson and deputy chairperson must be qualified lawyers, yet the congress proceeded without verifying this requirement.

The AFC has released a partial audit of FAM, which highlights weaknesses in governance, accountability, and organizational management. The report points to an administrative structure not formally approved by executive committee, decision-making concentrated around certain individuals, and critical functions heavily dependent on them. These issues pose significant challenges for an association aiming to be recognized as a whole.

Furthermore, Malaysia's youth football teams have struggled to remain competitive in Asean and reach the Asian stage. The National Football Development Programme (NFDP) was established to produce a technically superior generation by 2025, but its outcomes, coaching standards, and talent identification remain questionable. Questions persist about the effectiveness of the NFDP and how many players are progressing to senior international football.

The Malaysian Football League (MFL) also faces issues such as salary arrears and FIFA sanctions involving clubs, further adding to the broader concerns about the health of Malaysian football. While FAM's nomination as a shortlisted association for the AFC award does not definitively prove that the panel made the wrong choice, it does highlight the need for a more transparent evaluation process that includes a thorough examination of governance and accountability.