New FAS gen-sec Chew committed to changes

Sports Correspondent Former Lion City Sailors chief executive officer Chew Chun-Liang is expected to hit the ground running when he takes over as the Football Association of Singapore's (FAS) general secretary in November, a move which was announced on Sept 13.

- David Lee

But the 48-year-old is confident that he can steer Singapore football forward.

The Straits Times had reported on Sept 5 that Chew would start work in November to replace outgoing general secretary Yazeen Buhari, which the FAS confirmed in a media statement three days before its annual congress on Sept 16.

Yazeen, who has held the post for more than six years, will be stepping down on Sept 30 to join his family in Malaysia.

Chew is serving notice as deputy chief at the Agency for Integrated Care's (AIC) care systems integration division.

Thanking the FAS executive committee for the appointment, he committed to continue "the changes that are being implemented in the ecosystem".

Chew added: "This is also what I worked on at the Sailors, and my time at Mattar Road has helped me gain a deeper understanding of the fraternity.

"It is clear to me that football holds a special place in the hearts of Singaporeans, in the conversations that I've had with stakeholders of the sport. I'm confident that I will be able to contribute to steering the organisation in the direction that Bernard (Tan, FAS president), the FAS council, and Singaporeans want football to head towards.