KUALA LUMPUR - The FA of Malaysia (FAM) today announced the appointment of Mohd Saifuddin Abu Bakar as the new general secretary, replacing Stuart Ramalingam who took up the Malaysian Football League (MFL) Chief Executive Officer position last week.
Born and bred in Melaka, Saifuddin will take office on September 1 and will report directly to the president Datuk Hamidin Amin and the executive members of FAM.
This corroborates The Vibes’ exclusive story on his appointment on August 23.
FAM deputy president Datuk S. Sivasundram told The Vibes that it was a good decision to bring in Saifuddin at this point to continue the good work of Stuart.
“The president and the exco members were spot on to bring in a person with vast experience in football management to steer FAM forward and assist FAM to achieve all the goals that have been set.
“We have a hands-on president, so having Saifuddin in will create a perfect working combination. Saifuddin will surely have fresh ideas and initiatives.
However, Sivasundram said that it is not going to be an easy task for Saifuddin because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Even when Stuart was here, it was difficult for him, but he managed to sail FAM through the waves. So for Saifuddin, it is going to be less challenging, but I believe that he can take off from where Stuart left because of his experience.
“I hope that he will be able to take FAM to a greater level in meeting the aspirations of the various stakeholders,” said Sivasundram.
Saifuddin, 60, began his career in football administration as the FA of Selangor Technical and Youth Development Officer in 1991, before serving in various units in FAM from 1995 to 2003, including as the Head of Competitions.
He then joined the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) as the Regional Competition and Event Management Officer from 2003 to 2007.
Saifuddin later returned to FAM as the Assistant General Secretary from 2007 to 2009 before going to the Middle East to become the Assistant Head of Qatar Stars League Competition and later served as the technical consultant to the Oman FA as the League Competition and Licensing Manager from 2012 to 2019.
Mohd Saifuddin is also a FIFA and AFC Match Commissioner. - The Vibes August 30, 2021
