KUALA LUMPUR: “I am up for it,” was the short response from Tan Sri Tony Fernandes when asked about his interest to helm the Malaysian Football League (MFL).
The AirAsia Group Bhd chief executive officer expressed his willingness to replace outgoing MFL president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin if he is nominated for the post.
The owner of the London-based English Championship side Queens Park Rangers (QPR) said that, as a football fan, he would love to contribute something to the development of local football.
“I would love to do it, I love football, I love Malaysia and I hope I can contribute,” he told a press conference at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, here, today.
Earlier, Tony, who is also the Malaysia Stadium Corporation (MSC) chairman inked an extension agreement with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) for the National Stadium to be the official home ground for the Harimau Malaya squad until Dec 31, 2025.
Hamidin had voiced his intention to quit as MFL president after being returned unopposed to the FAM top post for a second term on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Hamidin will leave it to the MFL Board of Directors to decide on his replacement based on the conditions set by the MFL.
“I feel that Tony is an individual who loves football. Perhaps he is one of the candidates, I’m not sure. Let them (Board of Directors) discuss… the (name of the candidate) must not come from me,” he said.
As for the criteria the right candidate must possess, Hamidin said the individual must be someone who understands football, besides being competitive and has new ideas to take the country’s number one sport to a higher level.
In another development, Hamidin, who is also the Malaysian chef de mission for the 2021 Vietnam SEA Games, said they have yet to set a target for the national Under-19 squad who will compete in the biennial Games at the end of this year. – Bernama
