KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 6 — Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president, Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, at the latter’s office in Putrajaya, today.

In the nearly hour-long meeting, Hamidin said that he shared, among other things, the latest agenda regarding the direction of national football, especially the preparation of the Harimau Malaya squad for the first semi-final of the AFF Cup 2022, against Thailand, at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, tomorrow.

During the meeting, Hamidin also shared the preparation of the Harimau Malaya squad, under Kim Pan Gon, to face the 2023 Asian Cup, scheduled to take place in January next year, having qualified on merit in June last year, ending a 43-year wait.

"This meeting is very meaningful for us in planning the future direction of national football, especially ahead of the crucial Harimau Malaya match tomorrow.

"I also thank Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, for giving me the space to share FAM’s vision and mission, the F:30 Roadmap and the development of the construction of the new FAM headquarters and national training centre in Putrajaya,” he said in a post on the association’s Facebook page today.

Hamidin, who was accompanied by FAM secretary-general, Noor Azman Rahman, also informed Anwar about the latest developments in women’s football, futsal, beach football and the development of referees.

He was also pleased that the Prime Minister, who had held the position of Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports in 1983, voiced strong support for national football. — Bernama