Malaysia faces losing AFC headquarters

Malaysia faces losing the headquarters of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) which it has hosted for nearly half a century, after relations with the sporting body soured.

AFC president Mohamed Bin Hammam has proposed shifting its base from the impressive eight-year-old facility on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, and invited applications from the body's 46 member nations.

“It is not about problems with anyone. Simply, we are an international organization and we want headquarters in a country that can cater to our functions as a governing body,” he told AFP in a statement.

“The bidding is open to all 46 member associations, including Malaysia, Singapore and Bangkok,” he added.

Bin Hammam's plan, unveiled during a July meeting of the AFC's governing body, has come under fire from Malaysian officials including former AFC general secretary Peter Velappan.

He has described the proposal as “a total disrespect to all Malaysian leaders and staff who have worked very hard to develop and promote football in Asia”.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) said Thursday it will not attempt to convince the AFC to stay.

“They have decided to move out and Malaysia will not bid to host the AFC headquarters,” FAM general secretary Azzuddin Ahmad told AFP.

“The AFC is an independent entity. We will not stop them if they want to move out.”

Ties between the two bodies took a turn for the worse last year when Malaysia decided to invite the glamour English Premier League side Manchester United for a friendly during the Asian Cup tournament.

The AFC strongly criticised Malaysia's plan which it saw as drawing attention away from its premier event, and subsequently the Red Devils dropped their tour plans.

Malaysia co-hosted the Asian Cup along with Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Azzuddin said Malaysia was not “angry or annoyed” with Bin Hammam's plan.

“It will be an historical loss for us. But it is beyond our control,” he said, noting however that the president has to secure a two-thirds approval from member countries before relocating the headquarters.

The AFC is to discuss its plan to leave AFC House during its annual meeting in Shanghai next month.

Malaysia has hosted the AFC since 1965 and its first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman served as its president for 24 years.