Syed Saddiq supports PFAM’s Plan B to tackle issue of unpaid salary

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 — The Youth and Sports Ministry supports the proposal by the Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia (PFAM) to set up a special fund to raise money to help solve the problem of salary owed to players, said its minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

However, he said, it was more important for football clubs to ensure the problem did not recur by managing their finances better.

“It’s good to have a Plan B, but the best is still for the clubs to handle their finances better right from the start of the season because many of them have failed to keep their word to settle the salaries owed to their players last season.

“The ones making the promises are the clubs but the ones suffering are the players. I don’t want to hear excuses of failed business plans,” he told the media after the ministry’s Excellent Service Award ceremony in Seri Kembangan today.

Syed Saddiq said this when commenting on the issue of eight football teams not settling almost RM8.32 million in unpaid wages to their players last season.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) had revealed the six teams to be Terengganu City FC, Felda United, Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Hanelang FC, Kuantan FA and, the latest, Perlis, who still owe RM4.48 million in arrears to 22 players and six officials.

Meanwhile, Syed Saddiq also called on the leadership of state FAs and clubs to continue supporting the national team by releasing their players called up for national duty.

He was commenting on the refusal by Selangor, Felda United, Pahang and Kedah to let their players join the national Under-23 team for the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Under-22 Championship to be held at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from Feb 17-26.

The players are Muhammad Syahmi Safari (Selangor); Muhammad Daniel Amier Norhisham, Muhammad Zahril Azri Zabri (Felda United); Muhammad Faisal Abdul Halim (Pahang); and Mohd Fadzrul Danel Mohd Nizam (Kedah).

“On this matter, I am on the same page with Datuk Ong Kim Swee (the Under-23 head coach). As a minister, I cannot meddle with the associations, except to do the best I can through the existing channels. That’s all I can do without any elements of coercion,” he said. — Bernama