“If a minister wants to become the head of a sports association, he would need to obtain special permission from the prime minister, or the cabinet,” said the youth and sports minister, who was quoted by Malay Mail Online today.
The suggestion that Khairy lead FAM as its president was made by Awang Selamat – the collective pseudonym for Utusan’s editors. The call was made in the midst of a verbal spat between Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and Umno information chief Annuar Musa.
Annuar was reported recently as having suggested Tunku Ismail for the post of FAM president. The Umno man also offered himself as a possible candidate should Tunku Ismail, who is also the owner of the Johor Southern Tigers (JDT) club, turn it down.
Utusan however disagreed with Annuar’s suggestions, arguing that there were more qualified candidates who could easily lead the association, one of whom was the country’s youth and sports minister.
“There is another credible candidate, who is Khairy himself,” wrote Utusan today.
“Cabinet ministers, even former prime ministers (Tunku Abdul Rahman and Abdul Razak) were FAM presidents at one time.
“His (Khairy’s) position (as the sports minister), and his concern for national football even before he became a minister, can be put to good use. He was once the vice-president of FAM,” Utusan reasoned.
Utusan also took a jab at both Annuar and Tunku Ismail, and remarked how football controversies in the country had become even more spectacular than the game itself.
“Hurling accusations at one another, being cynical with one another. Even matters regarding sponsorships have become an issue,” Utusan said, adding that the mud-slinging was unhealthy for the sport.
Tunku Ismail earlier this week alleged that Annuar had used his influence as Majlis Amanah Rakyat’s (Mara) chairman to force the company and its subsidiary Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), to agree to sponsor Kelantan’s football team, the Red Warriors.
Annuar, who was once the Kelantan Football Association’s president, has however repeatedly denied the allegation, reiterating that no Mara money was channelled to the team at any time.