AFC warns Malaysia about the risk of FIFA takeover

The AFC Secretary General emphasized that the Malaysian Football Association must carry out the reform process independently or accept the possibility of FIFA stepping in.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has clarified that the collective resignation of the entire executive committee of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) was not directed by them. AFC Secretary General Datuk Seri Windsor John said that the resignations of FAM officials mean nothing unless they are directly linked to thorough structural reforms, even as the national association faces the threat of FIFA suspension.

In an exclusive interview with Timesport, Windsor stated that the AFC merely presented options to FAM, without pressuring or advising them to resign en masse.

"We do not force anyone. We simply raise these issues for discussion. They have to make their own decisions," he said when asked if the mass resignation proposal originated from AFC’s recommendation.

What AFC stresses is that any resignation should not be merely symbolic. "Resigning just for the sake of resigning… it’s better not to resign at all," he added, emphasizing that true accountability can only be achieved through reviewing laws, examining policies, and conducting a comprehensive administrative audit.

Windsor stated that AFC’s position is that resignation and reform must come together as a single package. He revealed that this situation could lead to severe international consequences if not handled properly.

"They might be considering... a FIFA measure involving... a severe sanction such as suspension from competition if the matter does not progress positively," he said. According to him, FAM has two options — either to conduct the cleanup themselves or accept the risk of FIFA intervening with a Normalization Committee.

"In any organization, you have two choices - either you are forced, or you initiate change yourself," he said. He added that any audit conducted by the AFC would only begin after the FAM executive committee makes a decision and would vary depending on the severity of governance issues.

Finally, Windsor said everything depends on the upcoming meeting of the FAM executive committee. If the committee reverses its decision, he said all plans would collapse."If they decide not to resign, then all of this becomes invalid."

On Wednesday, Timesport reported that senior figures in FAM had submitted their resignations in a desperate attempt to protect the association from the threat of FIFA suspension.