What of the FAS Saga?

Controversy spread through the football community in Singapore, after the release of last week's contrasting claims over a donation by one the presidential candidates for the Football Association of Singapore’s (FAS) elections.

Presidential hopeful Bill Ng, one of the two main contenders for FAS' president elections, is caught in controversy after he made contradicting statements on how $500,000 of his donations to FAS went to the ASEAN Football Federation’s (AFF) Football Management System.

Mr Ng had donated $850,000 to the FAS. He first claimed that the funds were used with little of his knowledge, and the $500,000 donation to AFF was made by FAS instead of himself.

But subsequently, it was revealed that Mr Ng had been in the know of such donations and that the donation was made by Mr Ng himself through the FAS to the AFF.

It was then Mr Ng issued a statement claiming that the donation was made due to a request by FAS.

Following is the timeline and breakdown of what pursued over the past two weeks:

13 April: Mr Bill Ng reveals at the Game Changers’ election that he has made donations of up to $850,000 to the FAS. He then calls the media to query FAS general secretary Winston Lee on how the funds were used as he knew little about it.

14 April: Mr Lee issues a statement insisting that Mr Ng’s claims of ignorance are untrue, and explains that the $500,000 was donated by National Football League (NFL) club Tiong Bahru FC—which Mr Ng chairs—towards the AFF’s Football Management System. AFF also issues a statement on the same day, thanking a Singapore NFL club for the donation.

15 April: FAS reveals that it was former president Zainudin Nordin who had requested for Mr Ng to make donations to the AFF.

16 April: National sports agency Sport Singapore calls on the to-be-elected FAS council to "provide a complete and satisfactory report on the management of these matters".

17 April: The Game Changers issues a statement claiming that "when Bill Ng agreed to Winston's request for a donation, it was strictly on the basis that the money was to be used to benefit Singapore football, especially our local clubs". The team also insists that "the former president Mr Zainudin Nordin did not approach Mr Bill Ng over the AFF Football Management System at any time".

18 April: The AFF issues a statement claiming that it was the FAS which had donated the money instead. However, shortly after, the AFF amends its statement to say that it was an NFL club that had provided the money through FAS.

Subsequently, Mr Lee produces a series of cheques, payment vouchers and a letter to show that it was Mr Zainudin who had asked Mr Ng for the $500,000 and that Mr Ng was aware that the money was for the AFF's Football Management System.

Mr Ng responds by saying that it was Mr Lee who sent him a letter requesting a donation to the AFF in 2014. Mr Ng signed it as he saw the need to support FAS. He also reiterated that he never dealt with Mr Zainudin, despite sending the letter addressed to the latter.

The presidential elections for the FAS is to occur of the 29th of April this year.

(Apr 2017)