{
  "id": 5944433,
  "title": "FAM election: Is the playing field level?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/fam-election-is-the-playing-field-level",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-06T08:12:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/sports/football/2026/09/1526927/fam-election-playing-field-level"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The FAM presidential election between Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan and Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar has raised concerns about the fairness of the race. The central issue is Ghani's position as MFL president, which gives him an ex-officio route into the FAM executive committee. This has led some to question whether the playing field is level, as Ghani faces less risk compared to the other candidates. Despite the AFC confirming that there is no rule requiring an MFL president to step down to contest the FAM presidential election, the situation seems to create an unfair advantage for Ghani. If the other 22 candidates lose their respective contests, they walk away empty-handed, while Ghani is guaranteed an exco seat even if he loses the presidential race. Sayf Ismail, a former FAM head of marketing, argues that Ghani should either relinquish his MFL position before the election or withdraw from the presidential race to ensure fairness. The MFL-FAM relationship is a source of tension, as the MFL president holds an ex-officio position within FAM. The FAM's governance and administrative structures have been under scrutiny, with an AFC maturity assessment highlighting shortcomings across 10 of the body's 11 operational divisions.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: The race for the FA of Malaysia (FAM) presidency may be a straight fight between two men, but questions over the fairness of the election have shone a light on the relationship between the national body and the Malaysian Football League (MFL).",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}