The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) has appointed a Provisional Council to helm the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to lead the Association on an interim basis until 31 Mar 2017 or until the Association’s elections are called.
FAS Vice-President Mr Lim Kia Tong will assume the lead role in the Provisional Council as the interim President. While, Mr Bernard Tan, Mr Edwin Tong, Mr S. Thavaneson, Mr Tan Soo Nan, Mr Sarjit Singh and Mr Razali Saad will be served as members from the previous Council.
The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) had announced on 29 December 2015 that it would comply with global governing body FIFA’s directive to elect its office-bearers, doing away with a long-standing mechanism of appointment by the country’s sports minister, to be able to compete internationally.
FIFA first ruled in September 2015 that FAS was not to hold any election, make any appointments or change office-bearers until its constitution was amended.
Officials from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation came to Singapore in November last year to discuss with FAS with a view to amending its constitution and to pave the way for election.
Mr Lim, who is currently in Papua New Guinea as head of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, said, “I am honoured to be selected to lead the Provisional Council in the interim period, and we will work to ensure that all ongoing plans and programmes of the FAS will continue during this period.”
“There are several key issues that we will be looking at, including the future of the S.League and National Football League revamp to a two-tier promotion and relegation system. Also on our list of priorities will be the cultivation of grassroots football such as women’s and school’s football as well as community participation as a whole.”
“The Provisional Council will work with stakeholders such as Sport Singapore (SportSG), the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Tote Board. The Council will be establishing communication channels to form an open eco-system of discussion, that will include not only the key stakeholders, but also its Ordinary Members and the general public,” he said.
FAS President Mr Zainudin Nordin expressed his appreciation, saying, “It certainly has been a privilege to serve at various levels of the FAS Council especially as President in the past seven years. I wish to thank the outgoing FAS Council, staff and management for their hard work and resilience.”
“The incoming Provisional Council will have the mandate to continue the ongoing work at FAS. I am confident that with the unanimous support at the EGM of the amended Constitution, the Provisional Council will be able to affect the smooth transition of leadership under the revised Constitution of FAS,” he added.
Earlier on Saturday, 24 September at the Jalan Besar Stadium, it was revealed in the Annual General Meeting that the FAS spent $4.4 million on the failed LionsXII experiment last year.
And while it spent the somewhat exorbitant amount on the LionsXII, only $70,700 was spent on the National Football League, the Island-Wide League, the Football Association Cup and the Singapore 9s.
With the total expenditure of the FAS amounting to $35.8 million for the year, the $70,700 was only a mere 0.19 per cent of the total expenditure of the FAS.
Football officials who attended the AGM were livid and could well be the nail on the coffin for the incumbents at the first ever elections for office bearers which could be held by the end of the year.
