Football Association of Malaysia
Encyclopedia
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is the governing body for football in Malaysia, responsible for organising the Malaysian national football team
Malaysia national football team
The Malaysian national football team nicknamed Harimau Malaya, as the Malayan Tiger, is the national team of Malaysia and is controlled by the Football Association of Malaysia...

 and the major football and futsal tournaments within the country. The Football Association of Malaysia main headquarters is located at Wisma FAM
Wisma FAM
Wisma FAM is a training facility and the main headquarters for the Football Association of Malaysia located at Kelana Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia...

.

Pre-Independence

Football arrived in Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...

 with the British. The locals soon picked up the game, and before long it was the country's leading sport. Towards the end of the nineenth century, football was one of the central pillars of most sports clubs in Malaya. But it was not structured. Even when the Selangor Amateur Football League took shape in 1905 – which ensured proper administration and organisation – the competition was confined only to clubs in the Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...

 area.

In 1921, a national tournament featuring all the states that made up Malaya was started. The competition, known as the HMS Malaya Cup
Malaysia Cup
The Malaysia Cup is an annual association football tournament in Malaysia. It is currently the longest-running football competition in Asia...

 (later renamed the Malaysia Cup
Malaysia Cup
The Malaysia Cup is an annual association football tournament in Malaysia. It is currently the longest-running football competition in Asia...

 in 1963), has been continuously since then, except during the war years.

In 1926 the Selangor Amateur Football League was established, and in 1936 the Football Association of Selangor
Selangor FA
The Football Association of Selangor , commonly referred to as FAS or simply Selangor, competes in Malaysian football competitions representing the state of Selangor Darul Ehsan. The team is based in Shah Alam city. They are currently playing in Malaysian Super League, the top-flight of Malaysian...

 was formed. While the Selangor FA was moving towards organised football, and inspiring other states in Malaya to follow suit, the battleship HMS Malaya visited the country in 1920. After engaging local opposition in football and rugby, the officers and men of HMS Malaya decided to commemorate the matches by presenting trophies for annual competitions in both rugby and football in Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...

.

In 1926, the Football Association of Perak
Perak FA
The Football Association of Perak enters a team in Malaysian football competitions to represent the state of Perak. The team currently plays in the Malaysia Super League....

, the Football Association of Selangor, the Football Association of Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan FA
The Football Association of Negeri Sembilan enters a team in Malaysian football competitions to represent the state of Negri Sembilan. The team is based in Seremban. They play in the top division in Malaysian football, the Malaysia Super League...

, the Football Association of Malacca
Malacca FA
The Football Association of Malacca enters a team in Malaysian football competitions to represent the state of Malacca. The team is based in Malacca Town. They currently play in the third-tier division in Malaysian football, the Malaysia FAM Cup....

 and the Singapore Amateur Football Association
Football Association of Singapore
The Football Association of Singapore is the governing body of football in Singapore. It was founded in 1952. Prior to that, the Singapore Amateur Football Association, founded in 1892, was the governing body for football in Singapore...

 came together to form the Malayan Football Association (MFA), in order to field a Malayan team against an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n side that visited Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

 that year.

In 1933, the MFA was revived to form the Football Association of Malaya (FAM). Initially, the FAM was based in Singapore. It was chiefly responsible for the running of the Malaya Cup competition. The annual tournament – played along inter-state lines – was a huge success.

The first president of FAM was Sir Andrew Caldecott
Andrew Caldecott
Sir Andrew Caldecott, GCMG, KBE was a British colonial administrator.-Early Life, Education:Sir Andrew Caldecott was born on 26 October 1884 in Kent, England. His father was a cleric...

, followed by M.B. Shelley, Dr. J.S. Webster, S.D. Scott, R. Williamson and Adrian Clark, who served up until 1940 – before Europe went on a full-scale war with Germany . In 1940, control of the FAM moved from Singapore to Malaya, with A.R. Singham becoming the first Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

n secretary in 1941.

The FAM's first president after the war was J. King, to be followed by H. Byson, and then Dr. C Rawson, who served for two years before vacating for the first ever non-British personality to take over the helm. In 1951, Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, AC, CH was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955, and the country's first Prime Minister from independence in 1957. He remained as the Prime Minister after Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore joined the...

 (who was to become the first Prime Minister of Malaysia
Prime Minister of Malaysia
The Prime Minister of Malaysia is the indirectly elected head of government of Malaysia. He is officially appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state, who in HM's judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives , the...

) became the FAM president. It was under Abdul Rahman that football entered in Malaysia entered its next phase, with the FAM taking a much bigger role than just being the backbone in the organisation of the Malaysia Cup.

The FAM was inducted as one of 14 founding members of the Asian Football Confederation
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...

 (AFC) in 1954, before becoming a full-fledged member of FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...

 two years later.

After Independence

Tunku Abdul Rahman's love for the game was the main catalyst which resulted in the construction of the Merdeka Stadium and in 1957 it became hallowed ground for all Malaysians when it was the venue chosen to announce Malaysia's independence from Britain. It also signalled the birth of the Merdeka Tournament (Pestabola Merdeka), that was to all intents and purposes the centrepiece of the independence celebrations. The Merdeka Tournament proved to be a huge success, inspiring similar tournaments like the Jakarta Anniversary tournament, the King's Cup
King's Cup
The King's Cup is an international football competition held in Thailand. It has been played annually since 1968, with the exception of 1983, 1985 and 2008. In some years, the competition has featured club or invitational teams as well as international sides....

 in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

, and President's Cup in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

. The inaugural tournament – then the premier football competition in Asia – was won by Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

. However, Malaya won the title three years in a row, in 1958 and in 1959 ,and sharing it with South Korea in 1960. The country qualified for the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....

 and the 1980 Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...

.

Following the change in name to the Football Association of Malaysia in the early 1960s, Tunku Abdul Rahman continued to play a big role in the development of the game through various youth competitions. Following his departure in 1974, the reins of the FAM was taken over by Malaysia's second Prime Minister – Tun Abdul Razak, who served for just one year. The post was then filled by Tan Sri Datuk Seri Setia Raja Hamzah Haji Abu Samah in 1976, who was the Minister for Trade and Industry at the time.

Between 1976 and 1984, various football activities were introduced under Tan Sri Datuk Seri Raja Hamzah, and Malaysian football reached a new height in the international arena following his appointment as the AFC president.

The FAM entered a new era of modernization and professionalism when His Royal Highness the Sultan of Pahang, Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, took over. His Royal Highness was integral in the growth of football in the new era with the introduction of the semi-pro league in 1989 before the game went fully professional several years later. Among the high points in Malaysian football under His Royal Highness was the successful hosting of the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship
1997 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship was the 11th staging of the FIFA World Youth Championship. It was held from June 16 to July 5, 1997 in Malaysia.-Venues:-Qualification:The following 24 teams qualified for the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship...

, as well as the organisation of the Premier League, which has been called the Malaysian Super League
Malaysian Super League
The Malaysia Super League is a Malaysian professional league for association football. At the top flight of the Malaysian football league system and it is managed by the Malaysia Super League Sdn Bhd, under supervision of the Football Association of Malaysia...

 since 2004.

Future

The glory days of Malaysian football in the 1970s and 80s, when names like Mokhtar Dahari
Mokhtar Dahari
Allahyarham Dato' Mokhtar Dahari was a Malaysian Association football player from Setapak, Kuala Lumpur. He was one of the best players in Asia in the 1970s and is known as the best Malaysian footballer during that time, a legend in Malaysian football...

, Santokh Singh
Santokh Singh
Santokh Singh was a Malaysian national football player from Selangor. He played alongside the late Mokhtar Dahari, Soh Chin Aun and R. Arumugam. He participated in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games and one of qualifying team to the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. His partnership with Soh Chin Aun was the...

 and Soh Chin Aun
Soh Chin Aun
Datuk Soh Chin Aun ; born July 28, 1950) is a Malaysian Chinese national football player from Malacca alongside the late Mokhtar Dahari and R. Arumugam. He was known as Tauke or Towkay by his team mate and fans....

 would strike fear in teams all over Asia and Malaysia used to beat South Korea and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 are gone. Football in Malaysia is in the doldrums. The pre World Cup qualifying campaign for the 2006
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Asia.44 Asian teams are affiliated with FIFA, but Cambodia, Philippines, Bhutan and Brunei decided not to take part, and Myanmar was banned from the competition, so a total of 39 teams took part, competing...

 ended with Malaysia losing all their matches and losing to Hong Kong, ranked lower than them.

The Malaysian Super League
Malaysian Super League
The Malaysia Super League is a Malaysian professional league for association football. At the top flight of the Malaysian football league system and it is managed by the Malaysia Super League Sdn Bhd, under supervision of the Football Association of Malaysia...

 was introduced in 2004 with the hope of raising football standards and the FAM are optimistic the league will bring Malaysia out of the international football wilderness.

Criticism

The FAM after years have been subject to criticism by many including the locals. Many fans are unhappy with the ever changing league format and the decline in the standard in the local league and national team. The fact that the FAM introduces ad hoc
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....

decisions has also marred its relationship with several state affliliates. There was a stage when the FAM allowed 4 imports, but within months changed its ruling to only allowing 3 to be eligible for every affiliate, making teams loose out on compensation over termination of foreign players contracts. A recent spat over the FAM's unprofessionalism saw the Football Association of Sarawak
Sarawak FA
The Football Association of Sarawak enters a team in Malaysian football competitions to represent the state of Sarawak...

 (FAS) denied its 3-1 victory for the suspicion of fielding an ineligible player due to the FAM's ruling which only came into effect after the player played put Sarawak back into rough waters with its parent body and although the player was mysteriously allowed to play after half of the season has ended, many fans are still unhappy that FAS remains the only association under the microscope of the FAM.

The FAM has also been recently underfire from the press and the local football fans due to its dismal performance in the Asian Cup where the Malaysian team lost all its games to China 5-1, Uzbekistan 5-0 and finally Iran 2-0. The FAM then "claimed" that major revamps are underway to help Malaysia raise its footballing standards.

The current FAM President has been in charge of Malaysian football for 25 years, but never has Malaysia qualified to the World Cup. The fact is that the Malaysian football standard has been in decline during his term: The last time Malaysia qualified to the Olympics, it was in 1980 - an achievement that has never been repeated. After the humiliating performance in the Asian Cup 2007, he put the blame squarely on the players, while refusing to heed the calls for him to step down and vowed to remain in the position he has occupied since 1984. Instead he "demanded a full report of the matches against China and Uzbekistan" while claiming "I will not bow to pressure. I am not a coward. I am a fighter.". He retained the presidency of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) at the council's elections on Sept 9 2007.

Principals

Office Name Start yeartime End yeartime
President Sir Andrew Caldecott 1933
M.B. Shelley
Dr. J.S. Webster
S.D. Scott
R. Williamson
Adrian Clark 1940
J. King
H. Byson
Dr. C Rawson
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, AC, CH was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955, and the country's first Prime Minister from independence in 1957. He remained as the Prime Minister after Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore joined the...

1951 1974
Tun Abdul Razak 1974 1976
Tan Sri Datuk Seri Raja Hamzah 1976 1984
Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah 1984
Secretary A.R. Singham 1941
Datuk Paul Mony Samuel
Datuk Dell Akbar Khan
Datuk Ibrahim Saad 2005 2007
Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad 2007

Executive committee

  • President: His Royal Highness Sultan Ahmad Shah
  • Deputy President: Tengku Abdullah
    Tengku Abdullah ibni Sultan Ahmad Shah
    Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Tengku Abdullah ibni Sultan Ahmad Shah is the Tengku Mahkota of Pahang, Malaysia....

    , Tan Sri Annuar Musa
  • Vice-President: Datuk Subahan Kamal, Datuk Hamidin Amin, Datuk Abdullah Hishan Mohd Hashim, Datuk Affandi Hamzah
  • General Secretary: Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad
  • Executive Committee Members:
    • Dr Hamdan Mohamed Khalib (Kedah FA
      Kedah FA
      The Kedah FA are a Malaysian professional football association team based in Kedah, Malaysia also enters a team in Malaysian football competitions to represent the state of Kedah...

       Executive Secretary)
    • Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan (Kelantan FA
      Kelantan FA
      The Kelantan Football Association enters a team in Malaysian football competitions to represent the state of Kelantan, Malaysia. The team is based in the city of Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. They are currently playing in the top division in Malaysian football, the Malaysia Super League...

      )
    • Datuk Jeffrey Low (Malaysian Chinese FA)
    • Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz (Kuala Lumpur FA
      Kuala Lumpur FA
      The Kuala Lumpur Football Association is a Malaysian professional football association based in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. The association was founded as the Federal Territory Football Association in 1974 and entered Malaysian football competitions in 1979 before being renamed Kuala Lumpur in 1986...

       President)
    • Datuk Osman Salleh (Police FA
      PDRM FA
      The Polis Di-Raja Malaysia Football Association enters a team in Malaysian football competitions to represent the Polis Di-Raja Malaysia . The team's home stadium is the MPS Stadium in Selayang, Selangor...

      )
    • Rosmadi Ismail (Kelantan FA
      Kelantan FA
      The Kelantan Football Association enters a team in Malaysian football competitions to represent the state of Kelantan, Malaysia. The team is based in the city of Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. They are currently playing in the top division in Malaysian football, the Malaysia Super League...

      )
    • Rani Abdul Rahim (Armed Forces FA
      ATM FA
      The Angkatan Tentera Malaysia Football Association enters a team in Malaysian football competitions to represent the Angkatan Tentera Malaysia . The team's home stadium is the Majlis Perbandaran Selayang Stadium in Selayang, Selangor...

      )
    • S. Sivasundaram (Malaysian Indian FA)

See also

  • Malaysia national football team
    Malaysia national football team
    The Malaysian national football team nicknamed Harimau Malaya, as the Malayan Tiger, is the national team of Malaysia and is controlled by the Football Association of Malaysia...

  • Malaysia Super League
  • Malaysia Premier League
  • Malaysia Cup
    Malaysia Cup
    The Malaysia Cup is an annual association football tournament in Malaysia. It is currently the longest-running football competition in Asia...

  • FAM Football Awards
    FAM Football Awards
    The 100Plus-Football Association of Malaysia National Football Awards are presented to the best football local and foreign players and coaches. They have been awarded since the 2005-06 season.-Goalkeeper:...

  • History of Malaysian Football
  • List Of Malaysia Football Chairman

External links

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