KUALA LUMPUR: The Football Malaysia LLP (FMLLP) annual congress in Johor Baru next week is expected to determine whether Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim stays on as FA of Malaysia (FAM) president.
FAM deputy president Datuk Yusoff Mahadi said the meeting of FAM executive committee members and representatives of M-League teams on March 25 may well be the last chance to persuade Tunku Ismail to stay.
"After Tunku Ismail expressed his desire to resign as FAM president, we have not had a chance to meet and discuss this with him," said Yusoff.
"So I think that the meeting at the FMLLP congress will be the best opportunity to persuade Tunku Ismail to continue to lead FAM.
"The election of a new FMLLP chairman will also be held at the congress. I believe all the delegates will express their support for Tunku Ismail to continue to lead FMLLP and FAM.
"Although there is a proposal to separate the post of the FMLLP chairman from the FAM president, for the time being I do not think there is anyone else capable of replacing Tunku Ismail in the two positions.
"Tunku Ismail's ability in bringing in sponsors has enabled each team to receive an increased in annual grant this year and is one reason why he needs to stay. The sponsors might not stay if Tunku Ismail left."
Tunku Ismail, who will complete one-year as FAM president on March 25, stunned the local football community on Thursday when he announced his intention to step down as FAM president.
That followed criticism on social media of the national team plunging to a new low of 178th in the Fifa rankings.
However, Tunku Ismail has been urged to reconsider with many voicing their support for him to remain as FAM president.
Yusoff said that Tunku Ismail remains FAM president as it is the executive committee's right to endorse or reject an official resignation.
"Until now there has been no official letter from Tunku Ismail to resign and I believe if he did so, the exco would not agree. We can also reject the resignation because it is not FAM but Malaysian football which still needs Tunku Ismail," he said.