Brigadier General Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim – has quit as the president of the Football Association of Malaysia – just 10 days short of completing a year after taking over the hot-seat on March 25 last year.
While the football fraternity is reeling from the shocking news, TMJ, as the Johor Crown Prince is popularly known, deemed Malaysia’s drop in the latest FIFA rankings from 175 to an all-time low of 178 as a “very big failure’ in his tenure as the FAM supremo. and it is time to go.
However, Tunku Ismail, added that “I have restructured local football, lured in sponsors to help contribute to football in the country and prepared a long term plan for the local football with the co-operation of La Liga.”
In a posting on the Southern Tigers Facebook, Tunku Ismail, who is also the owner of four-time Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Takzim (JDT), added:
“To my beloved Bangsa Johor and all the fans of JDT around the world, my wife and kids..Daddy’s home.
“History was made when for the first time all teams (in the M-League) received between RM1 million to RM3 millions annually, so they don’t have to be dependent on government funding.
“I fought for broadcasting rights for all competing teams in Liga Malaysia to help them manage and strengthen their financial stability.”
Brigadier General Tunku Ismail also spoke of “football history” when the National Under-23, Under-19 and Under-16 teams competed in the highest level in Asia.
Just days earlier Tunku Ismail revealed “Johor is where my heart is” and that he is going to be “wasteful” to bring the most expensive players to strengthen JDT. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
