The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) entrusts its 'destiny' to a single individual

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is encountering diverse opinions following the appointment of Datuk Ong Kim Swee as Technical Director, who has initiated a significant overhaul of the National Football Development Programme (NFDP).

The departure of several coaches from the Mokhtar Dahari Academy (AMD) system has sparked intense debate, eliciting emotional responses from both the public and football experts.

"The reason we appointed Kim Swee was to drive change". According to Mr. Yusoff, FAM did not appoint a Technical Director to maintain the status quo but to bring about real change in Malaysian football, especially in youth training, which has been criticized for inefficiency over many years.

FAM leadership emphasized that Ong Kim Swee accepted the role fully aware of the workload, resistance, and inevitable consequences involved in the reform process. The departure of some long-serving coaches is not a purge or rash decision but a necessary step in rebuilding the national football development system.

Mr. Yusoff stated that the old NFDP structure showed many limitations and risked hindering new visions. Therefore, Ong Kim Swee must be empowered to select personnel aligned with his philosophy and plans, even if it causes regret or negative reactions from some parts of the public.

Notably, FAM announced that the entire NFDP relaunch process will be evaluated through a key performance indicator (KPI) system, which will be monitored and reviewed annually. "This is a development process. There will be no quick results. We need time for it to bear fruit, but the KPI has been assigned to him (Kim Swee), he understands it well, and it will be tracked every year."- Mr. Yusoff affirmed.

On the other hand, Ong Kim Swee has reassured the public amid rumors about program closures or mass staff cuts. He explained that most misunderstandings stem from administrative and financial adjustments, especially during the transition of NFDP management from the National Sports Council to FAM.

The FAM Technical Director confirmed that no specific technical plans have been announced yet, and he himself was surprised by the spread of information suggesting that all decisions had been finalized. According to Ong Kim Swee, recent personnel changes mainly relate to budget and contracts, not long-term technical direction.