New Sabah Times
By FRANCIS XAVIER
KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Peter Anthony has the backing of Hamid Abdal in leading the ailing Sabah Football Association (Safa).
The younger brother of the Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Abdal openly declared his support towards Peter’s interest in becoming the next president of the state footballing body.
Speaking during a press conference held at his residence in Petagas near here yesterday, Hamid, in responding to Peter’s announcement in Keningau on Saturday that he was ready to take the heavy responsibility of becoming the new Safa supremo, said Peter is the right man to helm the association.
He strongly believes that the Infrastructure Development Minister has what it takes to put the cash-strapped association back on the right track.
Hamid, who spoke in his capacity as Safa Deputy President I, went on to say that they need to act fast as the new season is just around the corner before describing that bringing in new faces to lead the association is “like supplying extra oxygen to patients in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit)”.
On Saturday, Peter stated in his speech at the launching of the KDMM Football League 2019 that he had received the blessing from Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal to lead Safa.
But, for now, he is merely Safa President in waiting as he needs to follow Safa’s constitution before any change of leadership can take place.
At best now, he can be appointed as an honorary president as stated in one of Safa’s constitution, which would allow him to take over the role of the president.
He can also form a pro-tem committee before calling for Congress to conduct a fresh election to pick the new line-up.
“Under the Safa constitution, there is a clause stating that a person can be appointed as the honorary president and I believe Peter (in making the announcement) has received the blessing from the Chief Minister.
“I want to state here that I’m in full support of Peter to be the honorary president and of course becoming the next president,” Hamid stressed.
“As the honorary president, he (Peter) will take over the duties of a president and put the house in order. What’s important now is to ensure all the problems in Safa are solved including the outstanding payment of salaries.
Safa is without a president following the resignation of Alijus Sipil recently.
At the moment, it is believed that Deputy President II Datuk Rahman Zakaria is the acting president.
Meanwhile, Hamid said that he is still the deputy president I after his resignation was rejected by Safa Supreme Council.
“I haven’t received any official letter from Safa regarding the matter (resignation). That is why I decided to call for this press conference to state my full support of Datuk Peter to be the next leader of Safa,” he said.
