FAM President Resigns, Malaysian Football Superintendent in Turmoil After Winning Vietnam

According to the New Straits Times, the President of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), Mr. Joehari Ayub, submitted his resignation on August 22 due to health reasons, after only nearly 6 months in office. Until now, FAM has remained silent.

Undercurrents in Malaysian football have emerged

The incident of the current FAM President, Mr. Joehari Ayub, being "kicked out" because of "fierce internal fighting" within Malaysian football was confirmed by the New Straits Times and newspapers in this country such as The Star last week.

Now the matter continues to go to a new and extremely shocking development, when there is news that Mr. Joehari Ayub has officially submitted his resignation. Thereby, it is possible that FAM Vice President, and competitor, Mr. Yusoff Mahadi will be the replacement. But Mr. Yusoff Mahadi recently did not give a clear explanation, only telling reporters: "Wait until next week," according to the New Straits Times .

The controversial issue of naturalized Malaysian players of unclear origin may have shaken the FAM's upper echelons.

Photo: Ngoc Linh

Mr. Joehari Ayub last appeared at Wisma FAM (headquarters of the Malaysian football body) on August 11, when he chaired the first special meeting of the executive committee for the 2025-2029 term.

Since then, he has been suspiciously absent (not appearing in any photos taken at FAM meetings and events), fueling speculation that he might resign, the New Straits Times reported on August 26.

"It is understood that Mr. Joehari Ayub submitted his resignation on August 22 due to health reasons. Until now, FAM has remained silent," the New Straits Times added.

Mr. Joehari Ayub was only elected as FAM President in February this year for the term from 2025 - 2029. After the election without any competitors, Mr. Joehari Ayub also became the first person from Sabah to be the top leader of Malaysian football, succeeding Mr. Hamidin Mohd Amin.

The early period of Joehari Ayub's tenure was marked by a massive naturalization campaign of foreign players, including many controversial players because of their unclear origins. This created a fierce debate in football in this country, and in many places in Southeast Asia. However, thanks to this naturalization campaign, the Malaysian team became significantly stronger and had a resounding victory over the Vietnamese team with a score of 4-0 in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10.

FAM needs to speak up

Since the victory over Vietnam, Malaysian football has been experiencing many internal turmoils. Among them, the issue of whether or not to disclose the origins of naturalized players is prominent.

"The unrest has sparked a wave of reactions on social media," the New Straits Times said, adding: "A supporter of Joehari Ayub was outraged. They said there is no wind without a storm. He just took office not long ago. We want FAM to explain what happened. Malaysian football belongs to the people, and FAM cannot be silent."

Another suggested setting up a new leadership: "Appoint Khairy Jamaluddin (former Malaysian Youth and Sports Minister) as the new president of FAM. He is young, passionate about football, and currently does not hold any political position. Perhaps he can revive Malaysian football with new ideas and vision."

Meanwhile, some other Malaysian fans called for royal intervention: "Hopefully, TMJ (Mr. Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim) will take over the position of FAM president". In addition, it is proposed that Mr. S. Sivasundram (Vice President of FAM) should be the acting president, because he has a lot of experience and has been with FAM the longest.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chu-tich-fam-da-nop-don-tu-chuc-thuong-tang-bong-da-malaysia-chao-dao-18525082611480112.htm