March 29, 2004

After 5 years at the helm, Football Association of Singapore (FAS) president Mah Bow Tan has announced that he will step down at the Association's Annual General Meeting.

The Minister for National Development has decided that the time is right to hand over the leadership to his deputy, Assoc Prof Ho Peng Kee, the Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs.

Minister Mah will now focus on his political career but will continue to serve as a FAS adviser until his current term of office at the FAS Council expires in March 2005.

He stated it was an honour & pleasure to serve Singapore football.

However 13 years in football is a long time & he felt it is long enough. He wanted to give others a chance to lead the organisation.

He was appointed adviser to FAS in 1991 & became president in 1999.

During Mr Mah's tenure as FAS adviser & President, he saw Singapore through the pain of quitting the Malaysia Cup in 1995, the birth of the S-League in 1996, the initiative of forming the Asean Football Federation to start the Tiger Cup in 1996, the start of football betting in 1999, the 2000 launch of Goal 2010, the dream of reaching the World Cup Finals & the setting of the National Football Academy (NFA) in the same year.

Today, the NFA have produced 6 graduates who have played in the senior national team.

He also reminded his audience that there was no point arguing & debating whether we should change the Goal 2010 as it is irrelevant.

His personal take is that it is not about getting there but about how Singaporean must change mindsets. Singaporeans has to ask if they want to be a big fish in a small pond or look at the real world?

He knows it is not easy but it about pushing ourselves.

He was also frank enough to reveal that an audit has been done on Goal 2010, saying 'the report will be out soon'.

At the same time, he told his successor Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee that he 'must grow thicker skin'.