Johor DT supremo Tunku Ismail ibni Sultan Ibrahim has vowed to bridge the gap between Malaysian football and its fans, if he is elected as the next Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president.
“The culture needs to change”
TMJ didn’t hold himself back today, as he spoke about a variety of issues, including the need to give fans the opportunity to play a bigger role in the process.
“In the past, it’s always been different. The governing body has always kept a distance from fans. But today, it has changed. Fans get to be involved in the process. You’re here with me today, sharing your thoughts and concerns,” he told fans during an open dialogue session that was held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Kuala Lumpur today.
“In the past, you may not understand or know certain things about football. But now, I can help you all out by relaying the message directly to you. If I become the new FAM president, the culture will change.
“So I hope fans will also be more matured and help out their respective state FA’s or clubs. I also want state FA’s to engage fans, like I’ve been doing. Give them a voice. Maybe they have good ideas too, so don’t block them out. This is why I need to work closer with other state FA’s and help change the mentality,” he added.
Why did he make a U-turn on the competing for the top job at FAM?
The Johor Crown Prince is involved in a direct two-way battle against Tan Sri Annuar Musa for the top job at FAM, having accepted his nomination for the election last week. But Tunku Ismail claims he was never entirely interested in the role and that he only accepted his nomination for very specific reasons.
“If it was up to me, obviously I wouldn’t want to be the new FAM president. But I’m doing it because I don’t want to see Malaysian football fall into the wrong hands. All of us, including myself, have suffered for 31 years now, if it falls into the wrong hands, we will suffer for another 30 years. I don’t want FAM to be used for political mileage. I don’t want it to be used as a platform for politicians to campaign for the elections.
“I’m accepting this responsibility because of pleas from Malaysian fans, affiliate members of FAM and as well as an order from my father. He is not only my father, but he’s also my King. So I will accept his order and do what I can for Malaysian football,” he explained.
What happens to Johor DT if he wins?
While Malaysian fans are excited at the prospect of TMJ potentially taking over FAM, this news hasn’t quite been entirely positive for JDT fans. A large chunk of them continue to remain concerned over Johor DT and what’s in store for the Southern Tigers, should TMJ take over FAM – given that the TMJ has actively spent a large chunk of his time building the club over the last four years. But the man himself was rather positive about it, when the question was brought up during the session.
“Don’t worry too much about Johor DT. You have good people running the club and they will always ensure the club’s best interests are protected. There’s a work ethic about JDT that you won’t find anywhere else here. I can work at 3AM, if I need to. I can call Alistair Edwards to prepare specific documents at 4AM, and he always makes sure the documents are on my table by 8AM.
“I will always love Johor DT. But if I win, my priority will be the national team as well as the entire Malaysian football structure – which needs to be revamped. I will do what I can and as much as I can. Because who knows, I may not remain in football for a very long time. I have other responsibilities that I need to look into as well,” he added.
TMJ vs Annuar Musa
All eyes are now on the 53rd FAM Congress, where the new FAM president will be picked. TMJ continues to dominate polls and is clearly the fan-favourite for the role. But Annuar Musa has his own set of supporters within FAM, given the changes he brought to Kelantan football during its glory days.
Who is your pick for the role? Let us know by commenting below!
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