SINGAPORE: The hurdle has been cleared for the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to hold democratic elections for its leadership.
That’s after 38 of its 46 affiliates showed up for the Extraordinary General Meeting (EOGM) tonight (Nov 7) at the Jalan Besar Stadium, and unanimously voted in the constitutional amendments that would pave the way for its first elected leadership in over three decades.
The move away from government appointees at the helm of Singapore’s football governing body was announced last December, following a request from football world governing FIFA.
Since then, an FAS taskforce, led by current vice president Lim Kia Tong, has worked in consultation with FIFA to draw up proposed constitutional amendments that would pave the way for such elections.
And he was pleased that the amendments have now been carried.
“It’s an excellent outcome,” said Lim, who is expected to run for the presidency as part of a team yet to be announced.
“The most comforting fact is that it was a unanimous decision, which goes to demonstrate that each and every member that was present tonight is fully comfortable with the essence of this new constitution. And they strongly believe that the elements of this new constitution will be a legal document to propel FAS forward.”
The new constitution will now need to be scrutinised and passed by the Registrar of Societies, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), and the Commissioner of Charities, before elections can be called.
Given the current council’s extended term will run out on Nov 15, a provisional council is expected to be elected by the MCCY to run the FAS until elections are held before a May 2017 deadline.
Said Lim: “From the new constitution, the deadline is actually May 2017. That means by then, the new team must be legitimately elected.
“So if you work backwards, all those activities that have to be executed leading to elections must be carried out months before the deadline.”
