The upcoming elections for office-bearers at the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is not expected to see any challenge against the slate to be led by incumbent president Lim Kia Tong.
There had been some speculation that a team to be cobbled together by a few Singapore Football League sides was thinking of challenging the current incumbents at the annual general meeting to be held before 28 April.
However, sources close to this site have now indicated that a challenge for the positions is unlikely as there are not enough candidates to fill up nine slots under the slate, as required by the FAS constitution.
In the elections for office bearers, candidates are to be elected in in two ways – on a slate basis and on an individual basis.
For the slate basis, the team needs to comprise of nine candidates which will include the President, the Deputy President, four Vice-Presidents and three council members who are to be proposed and elected by the affiliates en bloc.
See relevant clauses in the FAS Constitution below:
The SFL sides who were keen to put up a fight are said to not have enough people to fill up the slate of nine.
“They don’t have the people to form the team, and it is not possible for them to put up a team to challenge,” said a source who was close to the action behind the scenes.
At the last election for office bearers in 2017, a team led by Hougang United chairman Bill Ng stood against Lim’s Team LKT but were beaten at the polls.
Ng’s team included the likes of lawyer and former Tampines Rovers chairman Krishna Ramachandra, lawyer Lau Kok Keng and also the late Annabel Pennefather, who was a former vice-president of the Singapore National Olympic Council, and a former president of the Singapore Hockey Federation.
With the SFL sides not able to get a team in place, it is now understood that there are discussions ongoing to have Lim make some changes to his slate of candidates who are expected to serve in their respective roles for the next four years.
Several key appointment holders at the SFL and Islandwide League teams had said that while they have no issues with the current President, there are fundamental disagreements with some members of his team.
“It will be good if Kia Tong recognises what are these issues which are bothering the clubs, and brings about some fresh blood to his team,” said a source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Main Photo: Football Association of Singapore