Will an election be a game changer for Singapore’s Football Association?
Disillusioned by match-fixing and a new graft investigation, fans hope Saturday’s election for the sport’s national governing body can make the game beautiful again
In contrast to Singapore’s sterling reputation for clean and efficient governing, the city state’s football association seems to be constantly riddled with scandal – a raid on its office this month seems certain to further diminish its credibility.
Already infamous as a leading incubator for global match-fixers, and with its woes compounded by years of poor attendance at the local S-League and an underperforming men’s national team, Singapore football was dealt a fresh blow when police raided the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) premises on April 20 over accusations of financial mismanagement at the highest level.
The law enforcement officials swooped just days before Saturday’s Fifa-mandated vote to pick the next FAS president and executive committee members.
The police action came after Bill Ng, a local businessman vying to be the next FAS president, revealed that the governing body canvassed hundreds of thousands of dollars from him in donations only to funnel the funds to the Asean Football Federation.
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His insinuation of mismanagement at FAS was followed by local media reporting that his football club –Tiong Bharu FC – amassed an annual income of S$36.7 million (HK$205 million) from slot machines. Ng’s wife Bonnie Wong, the landlord of the clubhouse, earned rental income that was significantly higher than the market rate, the Today newspaper reported.
