Football: South Korea shows the way on accountability. Can Malaysia follow?

South Korean president Lee Jae Myung demanded answers after his country's Fifa World Cup exit. Malaysian football deserves the same level of accountability from its leaders. It is time to stop treating football officials with kid gloves.

KUALA LUMPUR: South Korean president Lee Jae Myung did not mince his words after his country’s football team crashed out of the Fifa World Cup.

Lee criticised the appointment of head coach Hong Myung-bo, alleging that “competence” had not been prioritised by the South Korean Football Association.

“I am not just taken aback by this unexpected outcome – I am utterly baffled,” Lee posted on X.

“Given that significant national taxpayer funds and state support resources are invested even in World Cup participation, I ask that the Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry thoroughly investigate the precise circumstances of this incident, analyse its causes, and develop comprehensive measures to prevent a recurrence.

“We will swiftly push forward with reforms to sports administration to ensure such a thing never happens again.”

That is accountability. It is an opinion backed by leadership. It is not government interference.

Following Lee’s remarks, Hong resigned, saying he accepted “all the responsibility” for South Korea’s failed World Cup campaign. He did not dismiss Lee’s comments as “noise” – a label too often used by coaches and officials in Malaysia to brush aside criticism.

Earlier, South Africa’s sports minister Gayton McKenzie also demanded answers from the South African Football Association over visa issues that delayed the national team’s trip to Mexico. He said: “Action must be taken against those responsible for this mess.”

Again, that is accountability. It is not government interference.

If the same scenario unfolded in Malaysia, however, the response would likely be familiar:

And somewhere along the way, the government may well allocate more public money to football.

For far too long, politicians and Putrajaya have mollycoddled the sport. That has created an environment where football administrators appear accountable to no one – not taxpayers, not supporters.

Malaysian football is already reeling from the doctored documentation scandal.

Last September, Fifasanctioned the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven players – Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomás Garcés, Rodrigo Julián Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, João Vitor Brandão Figueiredo, Jon Irazábal Iraurgui and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano – for breaching Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code on forgery and falsification.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the sanctions.

Although several FAM officials resigned and a police report was lodged, no one has been held accountable.

The Asian Football Confederation stepped in and, during FAM’s extraordinary congress on June 4, delivered a damning assessment of the association’s governance and management.

Yet some still insist it is time to “move on“, despite repeated calls for the AFC audit findings to be made public.

That attitude must end.

The incoming FAM leadership must understand that accountability is not optional. Wisma FAM can no longer operate as the playground of a select few.

Likewise, politicians must stop confusing accountability with interference.

Their role is not to shield football administrators or act as benefactors. It is to demand transparency, good governance and proper stewardship of public funds.

South Korea has shown what accountability looks like. The question is whether Malaysia is prepared to follow.’