KUALA LUMPUR: Sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli believes it is not wrong for full-time national sports association (NSA) presidents to receive a monthly salary.
However, Pekan stressed that there must be transparency regarding the president's remuneration, at the very least within the association.
Pekan was referring to the monthly salary of RM90,000 earned by Datuk Hamidin Amin, the president of the FA of Malaysia (FAM).
"NSAs in Malaysia are typically non-profit organisations, so the idea of a president receiving a salary may seem foreign to us," said Pekan yesterday.
"But it is quite common abroad, and there is nothing wrong with it in this modern era. We have to accept change if we want to progress.
"However, I believe there should be transparency regarding the remuneration received by the president. If not made public, the president's fellow office-bearers should at least be informed of what remuneration the president receives.
"This is to avoid conflicts within the association and the sport. This way (transparency), people won't be shocked when they find out.
"Some associations may not declare them (remuneration) as salaries, but they could be in the form of allowances or other benefits."
Pekan added that presidents who receive salaries should provide their associations with leadership on par with what they earn.
"When a president receives a salary, it is often viewed as a sign that the association functions as a business entity that can generate substantial revenue," he said.
"It is necessary for a president to demonstrate their worthiness of a salary and provide leadership that enables the association to thrive.
"The association should not be riddled with trivial issues, and there should not be issues with (unpaid) salaries within the NSA and its competitions.
"This should not be happening when the president is receiving a hefty salary. They have to prove themselves worthy."
Hamidin is in the spotlight after a poison pen letter, which accused FAM of various wrongdoings, went viral.
The letter claimed that Hamidin receives a monthly salary of RM90,000, not inclusive of allowances from the Asian Football Confederation and Fifa.
It angered fans as FAM has failed to raise the standards of the M-League and the national team, now ranked world No. 138.
When asked last week, Hamidin declined to reveal his actual salary, stating that it was a personal matter.
