SINGAPORE – The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has lifted a suspension on council member Harman Ali on April 9, after concluding an inquiry regarding a potential ethics breach.
The potential breach is said to be related to an allegedly leaked document that surfaced after a review of the national men’s Under-22 team’s dismal outing at the SEA Games in May 2023.
Harman, head coach of Singapore Football League Division 2 side GFA Sporting Westlake, was part of a four-man panel which conducted the review.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, an FAS spokesman said: “As of April 9, 2024, Harman Ali has been reinstated to the FAS Council and he has resumed his duties as a council member.
“Harman had been provisionally suspended from the FAS Council in December 2023 and the matter was subsequently referred to the FAS ethics committee for a potential ethics breach. Since then, the matter has progressed, and after being managed internally, is now considered closed.”
The other members of the review panel were former national coach Jita Singh and former national players Lim Tong Hai and Razali Saad.
The quartet spent a month interviewing players, coaches, administrators and backroom staff before presenting their reports, meant to be kept confidential, to the FAS.
But on June 30, 2023, online publication The Monitor SG (TMSG) published a story based on “portions of the review” that its writer had seen. On the same day, the FAS issued TMSG a lawyers’ letter requesting the contents of the report not be made public, citing a “breach of confidence”.
A week later, the FAS announced a list of 10 recommendations arising from the review.
When contacted, Harman said: “I am pleased that the issue has been closed amicably and that I can continue my work with the association.”
The current FAS Council, led by president Bernard Tan, was elected on April 28, 2021. Its four-year term ends in 2025 and the next elections must be called by the end of April 2025.
Earlier, the FAS also confirmed that vice-president Ben Teng, former chairman of Geylang International, has requested a leave of absence due to personal reasons.
“His duties will be covered by council members until such time he returns to his duties, per Article 35.11 in our constitution,” the spokesman said.
“Ben has indicated that he will still be available to assist the council should any major issue arise during his absence. We wish him all the best and look forward to his return to the council.”
