Tupong assemblyman wins FAS president's post unopposed

New Straits Times

14-06-2025

KUCHING: Tupong assemblyman Datuk Datuk Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman was today elected unopposed as the new president of the Football Association of Sarawak (FAS) for the 2025-2027 term after sports consultant Dr Mohammed Syafiq Abdullah withdrew from contesting at the FAS annual general meeting (AGM) here.
Fazzrudin, who is also Kuching City FA president, took over from Abang Zulkarnain Abang Abdul Rahman, who declined to seek re-election at the AGM today.
Stakan assemblyman Datuk Hamzah Brahim was also elected deputy president unopposed.
The posts of five vice-presidents went to Sophie Shariee with 25 votes, Khairulddin Qalam Daud (24 votes), Khairul Anuar Adeni (23 votes), Hailcal Abdullah (17 votes) and Nichol Agoi (16 votes).
Speaking to reporters later, Fazzrudin said his main task was to promote the Sarawak Premier League as his first major initiative to reignite the local football scene.
He explained that the premier league was scheduled to kick off by September at the latest, explaining that the competition would adopt a 'home' and 'away' format, and feature teams from across all Sarawak divisions.
He said the aim was to strengthen grassroots football by focusing on the development of players, coaches, referees and infrastructure.
"In the long term, as our league grows stronger, we will be able to produce more high-calibre players with the potential to be absorbed into teams in the Malaysian League, or even Indonesia's Liga 1.
"That is my dream—to see Sarawakian players competing on bigger stages.
"It's not an impossible dream, but one that requires a clear strategy, proper planning and phased implementation. God-willing, with consistent effort, we can achieve this goal," he said.
He said among the key priorities outlined by the new FAS leadership was the continued enhancement of coaching quality through courses initiated in the past
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He added refereeing standards would also be improved through regular training and certification, while attention would be given to field facilities and infrastructure to ensure that every team had access to adequate and high-quality training venues.
Fazzrudin said the state's premier league would be held annually and be limited to local players for now.
"Although there are international students at higher learning institutions in Sarawak who are interested in taking part, their inclusion has not been considered at this stage.
"That said, the possibility of involving them in the future remains open, depending on the needs and development of the league," he added.
The age limit for players was still under discussion, but for the inaugural edition, there would be no age restriction to encourage wider participation.