SINGAPORE - The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) will not rush to elect its new leader, after sitting president Lim Kia Tong's death following a heart attack on Wednesday.
According to the FAS constitution, the deputy president - the post is held by Bernard Tan - will deputise until its next Congress, set for next Friday.
However, given the short window, it is understood that there is insufficient time for the election process to take place.
Tan, the country president of conglomerate Sinar Mas, is therefore likely to be the interim FAS president until next year's Congress, when a new leader will be elected for the remaining period of office.
If Tan - he has been FAS deputy president since 2017, and previously served as vice-president since 2013 - is unavailable to deputise at this point, the "most senior vice-president" will fill in instead.
The next FAS elections are scheduled to take place in 2025.
There are four vice-presidents on the current FAS council: Balestier Khalsa chairman S. Thavaneson, former Tampines Rovers chairman Teo Hock Seng, ex-national captain Razali Sa'ad and former Geylang International chairman Ben Teng.
The first three were all elected in 2017, while Teng came on board in 2021.
Lim was the first elected president in FAS history - his predecessors were all appointed - and took over in March 2017. His predecessor was Zainudin Nordin, a Member of Parliament from 2001 to 2015.
Lim was re-elected unopposed in April 2021 for another four-year term.
Former FAS vice-president Edwin Tong vacated his role at the national sports association in July 2020 after his appointment as Minister for Culture, Community and Youth.
His replacement, Teng, was however not elected at that year's Congress. Teng joined the council only when he was brought in during elections which took place nine months later.
Following Lim's passing, the Singapore Premier League (SPL) announced that the draw for the 2022 Singapore Cup - planned for 3pm on Wednesday - would be postponed until further notice.
The week's round of SPL matches - two matches are scheduled for Friday and Saturday each - have also been postponed.
