KUALA LUMPUR: The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has submitted an official request to the National Security Council (NSC) and Ministry of Health (MOH) for their views and approval with regard to adopting standard operating procedures (SOP) so that the 2020 Malaysia League (M-League) can be resumed once the movement control order (MCO) is lifted.
FAM secretary-general Stuart Ramalingam said the national governing body submitted the application to the Youth and Sports Ministry after Malaysian Football League (MFL) president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin, who is also the FAM president, and MFL chief executive officer Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan held a special meeting with Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican in Putrajaya on Thursday.
“While FAM and MFL put the country’s health aspects ahead of football, we also need to cooperate to find a way for football to resume and that is why we want to get expert advice from the relevant parties,” explained Stuart.
He stressed that FAM would accept and obey all directives issued by either the MOH or NSC, even if it could lead to the cancellation of all football activities.
FAM and MFL had previously decided to postpone all football activities in the country effective March 16 following the global Covid-19 pandemic as well as to comply with the MCO.
Meanwhile, Stuart also said that the FAM Secretariat was reviewing and analysing reports of all joint discussions on salary issues between teams or clubs with players and officials, as well as the financial status of each team or club following the pandemic, which has affected their M-League teams’ finances.
He said FAM would also get in touch with world governing body FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for their views and feedback before making any further decision on whether to resume the M-League or not.
“Therefore, FAM will announce in the near future the status regarding both matters — players and officials’ salary issue as well as the M-League calendar,” he said. – Bernama
