TMJ lashes out at Khairy for skipping FA Cup final
The FAM president says the minister’s absence at the match shows his lack of interest in local sports.
PETALING JAYA: Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim has taken Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin to task for missing the recent FA Cup final in favour of attending an event where he would get more attention.
“According to rumours, he was involved with the Territorial Army on the night of the FA Cup match.
“To me, if the Territorial Army programme was more of a priority, then it would’ve been better for him to be a territorial soldier than a youth and sports minister.
“Don’t just choose to go to events where you will definitely be the centre of attention and when it’s otherwise, you don’t attend because you already know you won’t be the main focus,” Tunku Ismail, popularly known as TMJ, said in a post on Facebook.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president said if a person was a minister or a politician, he should be serving the people and the national institutions, not personal interests.
“If it’s all about becoming popular, then you should be a celebrity, not a minister or a politician,” he said.
Pointing out that this year’s FA Cup final between Kedah and Pahang on May 20 had been attended by royalties from the two states as well as Johor, Tunku Ismail said Khairy should have also been present to watch “the historic match”.
“To all politicians and youth leaders, your duty is to serve the people, not counting how many followers you have on social media.
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“This is not about sports and football only, but the responsibility and accountability of every politician,” he said.