SINGAPORE – The new Football Association of Singapore (FAS) council has been urged to restore trust and credibility in the sport by establishing more robust practices going forward.

The call came from Grace Fu, the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and Lim Teck Yin, the chief executive officer of local sport governing body Sport Singapore (SportSG) after the landmark FAS elections were won by Team LKT on Saturday morning (Apr 29).

Led by former FAS vice-president Lim Kia Tong, the nine-member team defeated Bill Ng’s Team Game Changers 30-13 to form the new FAS council. The six individual council member positions were also all won by candidates aligned to Team LKT.

Minister Fu swiftly issued a response through her official Facebook page after the results were announced, where she expressed hope that a review of internal structures and processes will be prioritised.

“With the conclusion of its first election, the new leadership of FAS should engage its stakeholders, and rebuild trust and confidence with the stakeholders and the public,” she said.

“There are pressing issues for the FAS leadership team to address, including the development of local football and the future of the S.League.

“It is critical that the new FAS leadership prioritise the review of its internal governance structures and processes, to implement a more robust system going forward.

“The fraternity should put aside its differences and unite to work together for the future of football in Singapore.”

SportSG’s Lim expressed similar sentiments, making it clear that funding for the FAS – which is now administered through SportSG instead of the Tote Board as in the past – is dependent on future improvements made by the new leadership.

“The elected FAS leadership should continue to engage their stakeholders to unite and grow the sport,” he said.

“As a registered charity and Institution of Public Character (IPC), the FAS must maintain a high standard of regulatory compliance and best practice.

“Future public funding support will very much depend on this, and the confidence in the FAS’s strategies, plans and actions to develop football in Singapore and our national teams.”

Lim added that ActiveSG and FAS will continue to collaborate in the area of junior football programmes and that SportSG looks forward to working with the new council “on all other aspects of football ecosystem development in Singapore”.

“SportSG would like to congratulate the FAS for successfully conducting its elections, and wish the new FAS Council all the very best in leading the football fraternity in Singapore,” he said.