New FAS Council takes major steps to enhance governance
Just over a month after taking office, the new Football Association of Singapore (FAS) council has moved swiftly to implement changes to governance practices in the national football body.
In a media release sent to the press today (June 1), the FAS announced a slew of measures it feels will "enhace the governance of FAS and the wider ecosystem in football".
This, after an ad hoc committee led by FAS vice-president Bernard Tan looked into the national football body's internal governance matters following the April 29 FAS election.
The committee made recommendations to the FAS exco to do further work in three areas, namely widening the disclosure requirements of inviduals within the FAS, calling for an external audit to assess FAS' adherence to the revised Code of Governance for Charities, and working on a set of member obligations to ensure good governance in its affiliates.
Many of the moves, which include changes to the threshold for approval for expenditure and payments of key appointment holders, entering long-term contracts and commitments, senior appointments within the FAS, and approval on voting positions of the FAS, shift power away from two individuals - the FAS president and general secretary - and towards the 15-strong council.
Said Tan: "Many of the decisions in the old FAS council were very much centralised with individuals - whether it is the general secretary or the president.
"In terms of governance, the council sometimes did not have oversight over many of the decisions taken by the FAS.
"So we are going to ask the audit firm to advise what are the best practices that will allow us to have checks and balances."
More in The New Paper on Friday (June 2).
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