MEDIA STATEMENT BY HRH PRINCE ABDULLAH

PRESS STATEMENT BY HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS TENGKU ABDULLAH SULTAN AHMAD SHAH

DEPUTY PRESIDENT FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF MALAYSIA (FAM)

IN LIGHT OF RECENT EVENTS, SPECIFICALLY PERTAINING TO FAM’S DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE’S DECISION AGAINST TAN SRI ANNUAR MUSA, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY REGRETS OVER THE TURN OF EVENTS.

AS I HAVE BEEN OVERSEAS WHILE THIS WAS TAKING PLACE, I AM NOT PRIVY TO THE DETAILS OF THE ALLEGED INCIDENT OR THE HEARING ON THE 4^TH APRIL 2012.

TO CLARIFY, PLEASE NOTE THAT THE STATEMENT THAT WAS MADE BY ME ON THE 4^TH OF FEBRUARY SHOULD NOT BE INTERPRETED AS A DIRECTIVE BUT RATHER AN ADVISE TO ALL OFFICIALS IN FAM TO RESPECT OUR CONSTITUTION AND ENSURE THAT WE ADHERE TO THE PROPER REGULATIONS CLEARLY STATED.

HOWEVER, I AM SURE THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED THE CHARGES AND METED OUT THE APPROPRIATE DISCIPLINARY ACTION IN A TRANSPARENT MANNER AND IN ACCORDANCE TO FAM STATUTES. I HAVE FAITH THAT DUE PROCESS HAS BEEN FOLLOWED.

HOWEVER, I DO SYMPATHISE WITH THE FORMER DEPUTY PRESIDENT AS I AM SURE HIS REMARKS WERE MADE IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMEN THAT SOMETIMES OVERTAKES US ALL. PASSION FOR GREAT FOOTBALL CAN AND DOES GET EVEN THE BEST OF US. PERHAPS, IT MIGHT BE TIME FOR US TO PURSUE A REVIEW OF WHAT MIGHT NOT BE IN THE BEST INTEREST IN THE FUTURE OF FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT.

AS SUCH, I OFFER MYSELF AS A MEDIATOR TO END THE IMPASSE AND MEND ANY POSSIBLE RIFT THIS UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT MIGHT HAVE CREATED. WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF TAN SRI ANNUAR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MALAYSIAN FOOTBAL ALBEIT KELANTAN FOOTBALL. WE MUST ALSO EXAMINE IF THIS DECISION WILL DISMANTLE THE GOOD WORK TAN SRI ANNUAR HAS PUT INTO KELANTAN FOOTBALL AND IF KELANTAN FA WILL SUFFER ITS REPERCUSSIONS. IT IS MY HOPE THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THE MITIGATING FACTORS AND RESOLVE THIS AMICABLY FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF MALAYSIAN FOOTBALL.

THEREFORE, WE MUST LOOK BEYOND THIS AND FOCUS ON WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT--‐ THE PROGRESS OF MALAYSIAN FOOTBALL. THE ATTENTION SHOULD BE ON FOOTBALL AND FOOTBALL ONLY.

YH DATO’ ZAINAL ABIDIN ABU BAKAR

PRIVATE SECRETARY

OFFICE OF HRH PRINCE ABDULLAH SHAH