Ex-national player fears political appointments if Harimau Malaya privatised

 

FMT:

Ex-national player fears

political appointments if

Harimau Malaya

privatised

Faisal Asyraf

-07 Sep 2024, 08:30 AM

Thomas Samuel says while the idea is good, privatisation in other sectors has often led to non-subject matter experts holding key positions.

1

Shares

Total Views: 600

Johor regent and JDT football club owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim had floated the idea of privatising the Harimau Malaya squad.  (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

Two former national footballers have expressed concern over the idea of privatising the national team, Harimau Malaya.

Thomas Samuel, honorary secretary of the Ex-State and Ex-National Footballers Association Malaysia, said the proposal was good, but voiced concern that it would be tarnished by political appointments.

The idea is good but when it comes to the implementation, history shows that every time there is any privatisation, it will be filled with political appointments,

 the former national player told FMT.

These are individuals who are not experts in their subject matter, so how can they lead the industry?

Samuel said privatising the national football team would only work if the management was composed of people who could do the job.

Meanwhile, football legend James Wong admitted feeling surprised by the proposal and believed the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) was already sufficiently equipped to handle the national team.

When it comes to the national team, our FAM should be able to handle it. The logic behind the idea should be clear. What’s the rationale for doing it? I’m just surprised to hear this,

 he told FMT.

Wong, a striker in the 1970s who earned the moniker 

King James

, said those in power should look to answer several questions before considering the proposal.

Why do you need to privatise? Is FAM not good enough to handle it? Is the management incompetent? Does it lack funds?

Johor regent and Johor Darul Ta’zim football club owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim had floated the idea of privatisting the Harimau Malaya squad.

He took to Instagram to share his idea, along with proposed systems, roles and an organisational chart if such an independent body were to materialise.

On Thursday, sports analyst Pekan Ramli said FAM had to scrutinise the idea from all angles before releasing the national team to a private entity.

He said privatisation often allowed entities to run more efficiently, which could mean it would enable the Harimau Malaya squad to achieve greater success.

However, Pekan warned that there would be no shortcuts to success for the national team, saying it was more important that the FAM restructure its national football development roadmap, from the grassroots to the top level.