<figure id="attachment_3278496" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3278496" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-3278496 size-full" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/17b4678c-megat-d-shahriman-zaharudin-bernama-090226-1.webp" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3278496" class="wp-caption-text">Malaysian Paralympic Council president Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin said his experience leading PCM, and the achievements recorded under his leadership, show that a team-based leadership approach can bring about reform and results. (Bernama pic)</figcaption></figure>
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Paralympic Council (PCM) president Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin has again expressed his intention to contest the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) presidency following the collective resignation of the association’s executive committee members.
Megat said his decision was not driven by any particular interest group, but by the voices of football fans and the wider public who wanted meaningful change in the management of FAM.
He said his experience leading PCM, and the achievements recorded under his leadership, showed that a team-based leadership approach could bring about reform and results.
&#8220;I am offering myself because I do not belong to anyone. Football belongs to the people, and I am part of the people. What fans want is a fresh face, someone who can carry out reforms and restructure FAM, and I am one of those people.
&#8220;In para sports, we succeeded by working as a team, and the results speak for themselves. I have proven that this formula works, and it can be applied in FAM,&#8221; he told Bernama when contacted.
Megat, who is a board member of the International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football, said he would continue to prioritise the views of football fans.
&#8220;I am nobody’s puppet. I listen to the grassroots and the fans. I am also a football fan, even if I do not show it openly,&#8221; he said.
Commenting on suggestions for Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah to be reappointed as FAM president, Megat said the Pahang sultan would be an excellent candidate, but that FAM’s current image made such a move inappropriate.
&#8220;I agree that Tuanku is a very good candidate, but placing him in an organisation whose image has been damaged internationally would not be right. He should be protected and not linked to the current turmoil,&#8221; he said.
Al-Sultan Abdullah served as FAM president from 2014 to 2017.
Megat said genuine reform could only take place if led by individuals who were committed and prepared to take responsibility, and that rebuilding FAM could not be done half-heartedly or selectively.
&#8220;Even if someone was not directly involved, they are still part of the team. Choosing responsibility selectively shows a lack of commitment and concern for football from the start,&#8221; he said.
Megat previously announced his intention to contest the FAM presidency at last year’s election congress, but withdrew due to time constraints.
Under FAM statutes, presidential candidates must secure at least six nominations from affiliate members to qualify.
Last month, FAM&#8217;s executive committee members for the 2025–2029 term resigned collectively with immediate effect, citing the need to safeguard the association’s integrity amid an ongoing crisis.
The crisis began in September last year after Fifa confirmed that FAM and seven players – Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Manchuca, Jodo Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel – had breached Article 22 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code.

MatchPoint Times

Paralympics chief to contest FAM presidency

Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin says genuine reform can only take place if led by individuals who are committed and prepared to take responsibility.

Philippine VP Duterte faces third impeachment bid this month

Syarikat insurans menang rayuan tolak tuntutan RM1.5 juta kemalangan Ferrari