Lions captain Hariss Harun happy to take on role of FAS vice-president
Hariss Harun will not be retiring any time soon despite his impending appointment as Football Association of Singapore vice-president. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
SINGAPORE – Since incoming Football Association of Singapore (FAS) president Forrest Li announced his slate – which included Hariss Harun as one of his four vice-presidents – over a week ago, the Lion City Sailors and national skipper has been inundated with calls and messages asking if he was retiring.
With a hearty laugh, the 34-year-old told The Straits Times before the new council is sworn in at the FAS Extraordinary Congress on April 28: 'I'm not retiring, and I want to play for many years more. I will know when the time comes for me to hang up my boots, but it's not now because I feel I still can contribute on and off the pitch.'
Hariss, believed to be the first active player in the FAS Council, added: 'I was surprised when I was approached because it's unheard of for an active player to be part of the council, but it's refreshing to know that they want me to be a voice for the players.
'I understand that the FAS Council role comes with a lot more responsibility, and there will be a lot on my shoulders also being the national team captain and an active player. But I will have to learn to juggle and play each role as perfectly as I can when the time comes.'
One of Singapore's most successful footballers, Hariss has won the Asean Championship with Singapore, the AFC Cup, Malaysia Super League (MSL) and Malaysia Cup with Johor Darul Takzim, the MSL with LionsXII, and the Singapore Premier League and Singapore Cup with the Sailors, who are also in the AFC Champions League Two final.
He has been known to be not just a model professional since his national team debut at 16, but also one who cares deeply about Singapore football matters and is vocal about them.
This is why he decided to step up after being approached by Li, despite having a busy schedule as a player for club and country, father of three and property agent.
Hariss, who has 140 caps and 11 international goals, said: 'I feel very strongly about things on and off the pitch for Singapore football, and even more so as I grew older because I started to understand more certain things.
'I see that I have the capacity to help Singapore football. Having said that, our team acknowledges this is not a one-man job, that's why there is a diverse portfolio of people involved and everybody has to play a part to improve Singapore football.'
Li, founder of home-grown tech firm Sea and chairman of Singapore Premier League club Lion City Sailors, has assembled a slate of nine with lawyer and BG Tampines Rovers chairman Desmond Ong as deputy president.
Besides Hariss, the other three vice-presidents are Bill Ng, founder of private equity firm Financial Frontiers and chairman of Hougang United and Tiong Bahru FC; Sailors general manager Tan Li Yu; and Sean Bai, chief of staff at Burnley, who have just been promoted to the English Premier League.
Hariss hopes his experience and influence as Lions skipper will help him represent local footballers and advocate for their interests, as he remains concerned that football is still not seen as a viable career in Singapore, with many dropping out in their 20s.
He said: 'It's understandable if footballers retire early because of injuries, but it's sad if they do so because they don't see a future in Singapore football.
'I hope to make football a more attractive career for people who are serious about turning professional, to show that there is a pathway for them even after they retire in their 30s.
'We are a small country with a small talent pool, so we need to retain all the quality we have, and I hope I can help in this aspect.'
When asked if there would be concerns about potential conflicts of interest when the FAS Council meets to decide on issues pertaining to the national team, he said he would recuse himself where necessary.
He added: 'We are all very well aware of this. This is why we have a diverse group of people in the team who can make decisions, and there will be systems in place to avoid possible conflicts of interest in certain topics.'
He also cited Aston Villa centre-back Tyrone Mings, who was appointed one of three independent non-executive directors on the board for Euro 2028 – which will be co-hosted by Britain and Ireland – as an example of an active player making a difference off the pitch.
Hariss said: 'This shows we are keeping up with the times and it can be done. It's something new in the Singapore context, but I'm really looking forward to contributing to Singapore football.'
David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis.
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