KUALA LUMPUR – Football Association of Selangor deputy president Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar has made it clear that he has no plans to contest for the presidential post of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
Shahril responded to rumours that were circulated within the football fraternity linking him to the hot seat.
The 51-year-old, who was a former chief executive officer of Mass Rapid Transport Corp Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp), is no stranger to FAM’s administrative role, having been appointed as an FAM executive committee member for the 2021-2025 term.
He was tasked with chairing the sponsorship and marketing committee and also served as the manager of the national under-23 squad.
In a brief conversation with Scoop, Shahril said that he has no intention of returning to FAM, citing his commitment to his current duties with Selangor FC.
For the record, he made a sudden resignation from his post in FAM after Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah expressed displeasure with the Malaysia Football League and FAM president Tan Sri Hamidin Mohd Amin for not taking a serious enough stance on the acid attack on Selangor winger Faisal Halim, which occurred on May 5.
“I have no plans for now. I want to be fully focused on my duties with Selangor. I have a lot to do for the club, and becoming the president of FAM is not something I’m considering. I prefer not to speak further on this and let it remain as rumours,” Shahril said when contacted.
Before being elected as FAM president in 2018, Hamidin served as its secretary-general from 2013.
Under Hamidin’s leadership, and through his appointment of national head coach Kim Pan-gon, Malaysia made history by qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar this year, on merit, for the first time in 42 years.
It was reported that several names have been linked with the presidential post lately, including Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz and former youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin, both of whom have experience in FAM.
Also linked to the top position at FAM are two individuals from the corporate world, namely Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din and Malaysia Aviation Group Bhd (MAG) group managing director Datuk Captain Izham Ismail.
Khairy and Tengku Zafrul have both dismissed their interest in the position due to their current commitments, while it was reported that Mohamad Salim declined to comment on the matter.
The FAM Election Congress for the 2025-2029 term is scheduled for next year. — September 20, 2024