Sultan Ahmad Shah Al Musta’in Billah Sultan Abu Bakar stood firm behind the national football squad and advised the people not to despair, while stakeholders were reminded to seek a formula to ensure its ranking would not continue to experience a drastic slide. — Bernama pic
In fact, his dedication to the national parent body enabled him to retain the post uncontested several times including for the 2001-2003, 2007-2010 and 2010-2014 terms. The reputation of the late Sultan Ahmad Shah as FAM president was marred somewhat when a group of ‘Harimau Malaya’ squad supporters urged him to step down and make way for new faces who were seen as having more fresh ideas.
His gentlemanly attitude was revealed when he openly lauded challenges to his leadership including when his son Tengku Abdullah had the support of FAM coalition members for nomination as president. Under his administration, Asia succeeded in hosting the Fifa World Cup in Japan and South Korea in 2002, which was historic, as, for the first time, the organisation of the number one football competition was jointly conducted by two countries.