Written By : Andrew Samuel
KUALA LUMPUR: Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) secretary-general Stuart Ramalingam (pix) is almost certain to be announced as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the Malaysian Football League (MFL) soon, according to FAM sources.
Stuart, 44, who was appointed FAM secretary-general in July 2018 is expected to be officially introduced as MFL’s CEO after the MFL Board of Directors Meeting scheduled to take place tomorrow.
“Stuart has the background and experience in marketing to help MFL president Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan manage the league,” said the source.
As soon as the announcement is made, FAM is expected to follow up with a statement of Stuart vacating his post in the football governing body, before finalising the appointment of a new secretary-general as soon as possible.
Bernama understands that former FAM assistant secretary-general Mohd Saifuddin Abu Bakar, 61, is the main choice to replace Stuart, however, there is nothing official as of now.
Pursuant to Article 63 Paragraph 1 of the FAM Statute, the secretary-general shall be appointed by the president, on the advice of the Executive Committee.
Mohd Saifuddin had first joined FAM from 1993 to 2004, with his last position being the Competition Department chief.
He then joined the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for three years as a competition official before returning to the FAM in 2007, and being appointed assistant secretary-general.
In 2009, Mohd Saifuddin resigned and received the opportunity to serve as an assistant head of competition for the Qatar Stars League until 2012, and technical consultant of the Oman Professional League until 2019.
Meanwhile, Stuart’s nomination as the new CEO of MFL comes following the vacancy left by Ab Ghani, who was elected as MFL’s new president on Aug 16.
Stuart was appointed by the International Football Association (FIFA) as a ‘Professionalisation Consultant’ in 2008, and joined the AFC in 2012 before becoming a consultant to world-renowned sports agencies – Dentsu Sports and IMG in 2014.
He was appointed vice president of Dentsu Sports for four years until 2018.
