Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan has been elected as the new president of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), pledging to prioritize governance reforms and restore trust among football stakeholders during his remaining tenure through 2029. The election took place at FAM’s second extraordinary congress, where Ghani, 63, won by a margin of 15 votes over Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar, deputy president of Selangor FA.

Ghani acknowledged that rebuilding confidence in the association would be a significant challenge, especially in light of recent criticisms and concerns directed at FAM. "There has been a crisis of confidence," he said, emphasizing the need to regain the faith of stakeholders and Malaysian football supporters.

In a bid to fully focus on revitalizing FAM, Ghani confirmed he would resign from his position as president of the Malaysian Football League (MFL) by the end of the month. A successor for the MFL role has reportedly been identified. "I cannot focus on two positions," Ghani explained. "We know there are problems in FAM, and that is where we need to focus."

Notably, Ghani becomes the first former player to hold the FAM presidency and the ninth individual to lead the governing body. He played for Negri Sembilan in the 1980s. Looking ahead, Ghani plans to hold the new executive committee’s initial meeting promptly, with an emphasis on familiarizing himself with the current administration before advancing more extensive reforms.

The newly formed executive committee includes Datuk Seri Rosmadi Ismail as first vice-president and Datuk Saaran Nadarajah as the second vice-president. This new leadership team assumes responsibility following a major upheaval in January when the previous 17-member executive committee resigned. That resignation came amid FIFA sanctions against FAM related to controversies involving seven mixed-heritage players and allegations of falsified documents, which had cast a shadow over Malaysian football governance.

As Ghani takes charge, stakeholders will be watching to see how effectively the new administration can navigate these challenges and steer Malaysian football toward greater stability and credibility.