KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 — Growing anger towards royalty-backed Johor Darul Takzim Football Club (JDT), triggered by claims of preferential treatment by the authorities, could spread towards the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) if left unchecked, former Information Minister Datuk Zainuddin Maidin has warned.

In a blog posting, Zainuddin noted that there is a growing resentment on football terraces nationwide against the sport’s governing body FAM for allegedly refusing to act on the club despite accusations of violence involving its owners and fans.

He said this anger was clearly visible following several violent incidents that saw rival supporters attacking traveling JDT fans, with the most recent being in Ipoh, Perak last Tuesday.

Zainuddin, who was information minister during the Abdullah administration, said a bus carrying JDT fans had been pelted with stones.

The incident should not be viewed as an isolated event but one that shows angry fans are taking justice into their own hands, he added.

“The public anger towards JDT followed a violent incident in Johor that was covered up, coupled with the hesitation to punish and the subsequent unfair sentencing by the authorities,” Zainuddin wrote.

“If this sense of invincibility is allowed to roam wild then it will corrode people’s confidence towards the state government as the protector,” he added.

The incident in question took place in Johor when JDT played T Team at Stadium Larkin earlier this year. The club’s owner, the Johor Crown Prince Tengku Ismail Idris Ibrahim, had allegedly assaulted a staff member and issued death threats against a player in a scuffle during half time.

Calls for action poured in and police reports were lodged against the Johor prince. He was eventually fined RM30,000 but critics say the amount was too small to serve as a deterrent.

“They made a decision that insulted people’s intelligence,” Zainuddin commented on the matter.

Despite growing calls for action, the police has yet to act on the complaints against Tengku Ismail.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, on the other hand, distanced himself, saying the matter must be dealt with by FAM.

There were also incidents involving JDT fans. One of its biggest supporting group, the Inter Johor Firms, had been involved in several scuffles during away matches but the authorities have been accused of leniency.

Zainuddin said the Johor BN government must act to quash football violence involving JDT fans, failing to do so would fuel anger towards BN.

“The state government must be brave to put an end to this behaviour to ensure continued respect for the state of Johor and also the sustenance of BN in Johor or this hatred can become a political hatred”.