KUALA LUMPUR: The decision by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to carry out a “restructuring exercise” by terminating the contracts of the national team coaching staff on Thursday has been described as a very positive step marking a major transformation of the local football landscape.
Local sports analyst, Zack Rahim, said the drastic move is a clear signal that the governing body is now in a phase of large-scale transformation, as long demanded by fans.
He stressed that the move has indirectly returned technical authority to FAM, in line with calls from hardcore supporters, including Ultras Malaya, who have long wanted the Harimau Malaya setup to be overhauled.
“FAM is undergoing a major transformation, and the termination of contracts is a very positive step, welcomed by me and also the supporters. If we want to reform FAM, let’s reform it from scratch,” he told BERNAMA today.
He also viewed the move as a more efficient financial management strategy through expenditure rationalisation, allowing funds to be redirected towards more critical development programmes
Commenting on the team’s direction ahead of the ASEAN Cup and the FIFA ASEAN Cup, he suggested that FAM should not look for external candidates for now, but instead utilise proven internal expertise.
He named National Football Development Programme’s (NFDP) Technical Director, Datuk Ong Kim Swee, as the most ideal individual to take on the interim coaching role, based on his record and extensive experience.
He said the reassignment would be the most practical approach as Kim Swee is already within the system, while also taking into account FAM’s administrative constraints in offering new contracts before the formation of a permanent leadership line-up.
“Not a new contract. He remains under his NFDP director contract but is reassigned to gather players while waiting for September to appoint a new FAM committee. That’s the only option I see available,” he said.
Meanwhile, local football observer, Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli, also agreed, describing the decision as a “timely and appropriate” move to realign the management structure with recommendations from the Asian Football Confederation.
He also said the absence of a permanent head coach at this stage would allow local players to demonstrate their inner strength in restoring the team’s image and rebuilding fans’ trust, which has been damaged by various issues.
“Right now we want to see our players… whether they have the high awareness to restore the image… strong determination to dispel the perception that local players cannot perform,” he said.
Previously, FAM confirmed that the contract of National Team CEO, Robert Douglas Friend, or Rob Friend, was terminated by mutual consent effective June 1.
The contract of Cklamovski, along with two senior technical staff members, Matthew Smith and Seiya Imazaki, was also terminated by mutual consent effective June 16.
FAM also said the contracts of coach Nafuzi Zain and U-23 national team goalkeeping coach, Mohd Yazid Mohd Yassin, were terminated by mutual consent effective June 15. – BERNAMA
