KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 — Minister Khairy Jamaluddin says he has no qualms meeting the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), but says this should only take place after it explains the security breakdown in the Malaysia-Saudi Arabia match that turned chaotic last Tuesday.
Khairy also said the national sports commissioner has not informed him of any written response from FAM.
“I’ve no issue, but I am waiting for their response in writing to Sports Commissioner Datuk Zaiton Othman, and from there he will make a decision.
“I think that only after that will it be appropriate for me to meet with the FAM,” he told reporters here.
Zaiton last Wednesday sent a letter to FAM, instructing it to submit a detailed report within 14 days on the fiasco that prematurely ended Malaysia’s World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia was leading 2-0 at the time.
Zaiton will be able to take appropriate action on the FAM — including deregistration or suspension — after he receives the report, Khairy had said last Thursday.
Khairy had said his ministry had gathered “a lot of intel, proof and information” pointing at FAM’s alleged failure to heed prior warnings that the incident was going to happen.
Despite their early findings, Khairy had said they would allow due process to take its course and wait for the national football association to respond to the sports commissioner’s query.
Police had detained and remanded 11 individuals the same week in their probe on the chaos at Shah Alam stadium, when fans believed to be part of hardcore football supporters Ultras Malaya threw flares and shot fireworks onto the pitch, forcing match officials to end the game three minutes before full time.
Two men were charged over the incident today.
The hooliganism follows Malaysia’s 10-0 defeat to the United Arab Emirates in another World Cup qualifier game early this month, a result that news portal The Star Online claimed prompted the Ultra Malaya to allegedly protest against the FAM.
