KUCHING: Former Football Association of Sarawak (FAS) acting president Datuk Richard Riot Jaem is firm in his stand not to take up the post of president, saying he is not in a position to lead the association.

Referring to news reports on Aug 11, stating he was appointed to head FAS, Riot noted in a statement yesterday the association needed a president who not only has to give his 100 per cent attention to managing its affairs but must also be able to raise about RM3 million a year to run the association.

He said because of his tight parliamentary schedules, he would not be able to discharge these responsibilities effectively.

“First of all, I would like to thank all the affiliates for their trust and confidence in wanting me to lead FAS. I’m really touched. But the association needs a major overhaul and rebranding to regain some glory of the Ngap Sayot period .

“This demands the president to give his near total commitment to the association. Also, he must be able look for the funds to run the association, particularly to compete in FAM tournaments such as the Super League and the Malaysia Cup.

“Unfortunately, that person is not me and I would be doing FAS a disservice if I took up the post, knowing very well I would not have the time and means to do so. Thus, I regret to say I cannot take up the post,” Riot said.

Riot who left the recent FAS annual general meeting early to attend to another function, was elected president in his absence.

He had told the media that even though the delegates had unanimously wanted him to be president, he never agreed to it, citing heavy work commitments as the main reason.

He also said he was not someone with high standing to guide the association through its difficult times.

During his tenure as acting president, FAS did not incur any debts as it was able to play the Super League with the help of sponsors.

Riot also started a five-year youth development programme and one of the projects is the Under-16 School League aimed at scouting for future talents.