Malaysian businessman and AirAsia’s chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes has expressed interest to work with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) after visiting the national body for a meeting on Monday.
“At the meeting, Tony, through his company AirAsia, expressed his interest to collaborate with FAM in the future for various aspects such as referees, national teams, and youth development programmes,” said FAM secretary-general Datuk Hamidin Amin through a statement.
“FAM certainly welcomes the support and involvement of a businessman such as Tony in our efforts to jointly rebuild football in Malaysia.”
The airline company owner has his fingers firmly dipped in sports, also being the major stakeholder of English Championship club Queens Park Rangers.
Tony’s AirAsia Group also owns PJ Rangers FC, who play in the Malaysian third-tier FAM league.
The lifelong West Ham United fan is set to have a professional relationship with a soon to be new regime in FAM that are bound for elections in July.
Hamidin is most likely succeed Tunku Sultan Ismail as president despite surprise contention from politician Tan Sri Annuar Musa and Malaysian National Sports Institute chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azim.
Tony’s business sense and passion for the game will certainly work in FAM’s favour if they come up with a successful blueprint in the said areas.
The business tycoon has previously backed the national ‘Harimau Muda’ team by emblazoning a logo of them across the AirAsia plane.
Also present at the Monday meeting were national Under-23 coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee and PJ Rangers deputy president Simon Lim.