KUANTAN: Football great Datuk Jamal Nasir believes FA of Malaysia (FAM) president Datuk Hamidin Amin does not need to give in to the demands of "shallow" netizens.
Jamal came to Hamidin's defence as there has been pressure on the latter to resign following the national squad's failure to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup on merit and the sudden resignation of former Harimau Malaya coach Kim Pan Gon in July.
Jamal stressed that the blame should not entirely be on FAM's shoulders as the national body's job is to manage the national squad, organise tournaments and oversee the governance of the sport here.
He added that it is the responsibility of clubs to produce talent for the nation but they have been lacking in this regard.
"He (Hamidin) does not need to resign just because of baseless talk and demands from netizens who have a shallow understanding of national football," said Jamal today.
"Since taking on the role of president, Hamidin has led the national body effectively and successfully.
"Why should Hamidin be blamed? No matter who the FAM president is, Malaysian football will not succeed without strong support from the clubs.
"Today, I see netizens acting as if they are wiser, hurling criticism at FAM. Some of these people have never even kicked a ball, let alone visited a stadium to watch the national team play.
"They speak without thinking deeply, if they are wise, they should be able to provide constructive suggestions."
He added that FAM's limited resources has also limited their ability to develop the sport here.
Jamal said Pan Gon should not have left the national team as his contract had yet to run out.
"Hamidin should not have to leave FAM due to this incident. Why should he pay for someone else's wrongdoing?" said Jamal.
"No one could prevent Pan Gon from leaving, but it did not reflect the level of professionalism expected from a coach."