SINGAPORE – Dressed in a stylish white shirt and black trousers, Hougang United chairman Bill Ng cut a defiant and confident figure on his first public appearance since his arrest last week following a police probe into the suspected misuse of funds at Tiong Bahru Football Club (TBFC), the amateur National Football league club that he owns.

Currently out on police bail, the 57-year-old businessman, who is leading Team Game Changers into Saturday’s historic Football Association of Singapore (FAS) elections, looked at ease as he held a dialogue session with FAS affiliates on Thursday night (April 27) at the Padi restaurant in Bussorah Street.

Indeed, when Ng first arrived at the venue at around 7pm, he was seen smiling as he went around welcoming the affiliates and shaking their hands.

With just a day to go to the landmark polls, Ng took the opportunity to reaffirm to the affiliates his commitment to improving the state of local football if his team is elected.

Apart from lawyer Annabel Pennefather, all the other eight members of Team Game Changers’ slate, as well as the four individual candidates aligned to the team, were present at the session.

Ng’s team also went through their manifesto again and fielded questions from the participants.

Throughout the three-hour long session, which was not open to the media, loud applause could be often heard from the room where the dialogue was held.

TODAY understands that the team also sought to assauge any doubts that the affiliates may have starting having about Ng following the recent donation controversy and police raids.

However, Ng and Rajah & Tann lawyer Lau Kok Keng, Team Game Changers’ candidate for deputy president, did not speak to the media Thursday night.

Spokesmen for Team Game Changers had said that the duo would be fielding questions on anything except the investigations.

Ng left through the resaurant’s back door. When the journalists and photographers caught up with him, he smiled, waved and said: “Thanks for your support!”

He hopped into a car which then drove off.

Team Game Changers initially would not confirm the number of affiliates who turned up at the session but later said 36 people were present. Team Game Changers subsequently said around 24 affiliates had turned up.

Game Changers spokesman Steven Tan also shed some light on what was discussed during the session.

“We had a very good discussion,” said Tan. “He (Bill) shared the principles of Game Changers, explained the sacrifices that he has made (for Singapore football), and to remind them about why the team is contesting the elections in the first place.

“Other members of the team, such as (vice-president elect) Dr Teoh (Chin Sim) and (deputy president elect) Lau Kok Keng, as well as the individual council members aligned to us, also spoke with the affiliates.

“Overall, it was a fruitful sharing session and we are very positive heading into the elections.”

Tan also revealed that Ng had also touched on the recent controversies that he was embroiled in, although he declined to elaborate further. All Tan would say was that the “affiliates had hardly any questions to ask (about it)” and that the “loud applause from the room says it all”.

Members of the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) had raided the clubhouses of Hougang, TBFC, Woodlands Wellington and the FAS headquarters last week following a report filed by Sport Singapore (SportSG) into suspected misuse of club funds at TBFC and an attempt by a senior club official — believed to be Ng — to obstruct the completion of audits of the S.League’s sit-out clubs.

Following the raids, Ng, his wife Bonnie Wong, former FAS president Zainudin Nordin and FAS general-secretary Winston Lee, were quizzed by the authorities. They were then arrested, and are now out on police bail while still assisting in investigations.

Ng’s Game Changers will be taking on Team LKT, which is led by former FAS vice-president Lim Kia Tong, in the elections, which will be held at the SportSG Black Box Auditorium at the Singapore Sports Hub.

A total of 44 affiliates are eligible to vote, and a team will need two-thirds of the votes in order to be elected.

Meanwhile, some affiliates said they would be backing Ng and his team despite the controversies.

Arriola Buenaventura Alphonsus, who is the president of NFL side Starlight Soccerites, said it was time to give Ng a chance after being shut out by the FAS for years. He said: "They (the FAS) would always say the same thing, that they will improve soccer and the club scene, but nothing changed. 

"For 20 years I opened my mouth and they didn't give a damn. I told the FAS that it's too late. We should give the new people a chance to prove that they can do good for Singapore soccer. 

"Bill said he is now under investigation and there is a lot of bad press about him. He's not supposed to talk much, but during this election, bad news will come out."

Harman Ali, the chairman of GFA Victoria FC, who is running as part of Team Game Changers' slate of nine, said: "The meeting went well, and the affiliates are supporting us all the way. We are looking forward to the elections on Saturday. 

"Satisfaction is not the word (after hearing what Bill had to say), we have been supporting Bill from Day One,and that has never wavered."