PUTRAJAYA, Sept 10 — Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin today berated hardcore football fans whose actions he blamed for forcing a premature end to Malaysia’s World Cup qualifying match against Saudi Arabia two nights ago, saying their emotions were no excuse for endangering the public.

Khairy said the actions of some of the fans who forced players and staff of both teams off the pitch when they started throwing flares and shot fireworks across the field, caused not only security risks but became an international embarrassment.

“Look, no matter how angry you are with FAM, and everybody is angry at FAM including myself, you cannot do such a thing. This is absolutely not allowed and cannot be condoned,” he said at a news conference, referring to the Football Association of Malaysia.

He also named hardcore local football supporters Ultras Malaya.

“I was at Stadium Shah Alam and saw for myself not only flares thrown into the field but also the use of fireworks fired across the field. And I was sitting across from where the projectile was fired... I had my son with me,” he said.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today the actions of some of the fans who forced players and staff of both teams off the pitch when they started throwing flares and shot fireworks across the field, caused not only security risks but became an international embarrassment. ― Picture by Joseph Sipalan

Khairy said he expects brickbats from hardcore fans for putting part of the blame for Tuesday night’s fiasco on them, but stressed that the implications of the incident reach further than they may realise.

The minister said he was informed that the Saudi government had issued a protest note to Malaysia’s embassy in Riyadh in the aftermath of the incident, demanding an explanation for what happened and Malaysia’s next course of action.

“This has affected ties with a foreign government, and this is because of the act of the supporters and the failure of FAM to maintain security in their stadium.

“Of course the Ultras Malaya will say ‘aren’t you embarrassed that we lost 10-0?’ Of course I’m embarrassed, but I’m also embarrassed when you do that,” Khairy said, referring to Malaysia’s 0-10 drubbing by the United Arab Emirates last week.

“This is about public safety. We know they did it deliberately. We know why they did it, but we cannot excuse it,” he added.

Police have detained and remanded 11 individuals until tomorrow as part of their probe on the incident, which forced match officials to end the game three minutes before fulltime.

The hooliganism followed Malaysia’s 10-0 defeat to the United Arab Emirates in another World Cup qualifier game last Thursday, a result which news portal The Star Online claimed prompted the Ultras Malaya to allegedly protest against the FAM.

Ultras Malaya has since defended the incident, claiming they had no choice but to do so after having exhausted all “proper avenues” to push for a revamp in FAM over their dismal management of football in Malaysia over three decades.

On Monday, national news agency Bernama reported Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah announcing that he will resign as the FAM president over the national team’s 10-0 defeat to the United Arab Emirates.

Dollah Salleh had last Friday resigned as the national team’s coach following the 10-0 loss, while former international midfielder Datuk Ong Kim Swee was appointed as temporary coach.