PETALING JAYA, Feb 21 — The Malaysian Football League (MFL) has given the Perlis Football Association (PFA) a week to submit an appeal over the removal of the Northern Lion squad from the 2019 Malaysian League.

MFL’s chief executive officer, Kevin Ramalingam said the MFL’s board of directors would look into the appeal before making a final decision, two days after PFA sends a letter of appeal.

“We have given a seven-day period to the PFA although it is usually a 14-day appeal period for business of administration, but as it is a serious case, we give seven days only. For me, of course, if any decision is decided on any party, they will try their best to appeal.

“In this case, if an appeal is to be made, it should have an adequately strong reason for us to consider before the decision on the appeal is made,” he told a press conference after receiving a visit from PFA’s representatives at the MFL headquarters here today.

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Kevin explained that MFL would not accept the Terengganu City FC team who were reportedly keen to replace Perlis in the 2019 Premier League competition because he did not want any financial trouble that afflicted Perlis, also inundating another team and tarnishing of the Malaysian League.

Asked on the status of three matches involving Perlis in the 2019 Premier League, Kevin said the decision would be announced after the expiry of the appeal application period, adding that the fourth match of the Premier League between Kelantan and Perlis in Kota Bharu tomorrow was pushed forward and not cancelled as reported by some local media.

For the record, the MFL board members reached a unanimous decision yesterday to eliminate Perlis from the 2019 Malaysian League after finding that the PFA did not have a strong financial strength this season as well as facing wage arrears.

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Perlis’s elimination is not new because MFL had also removed Pahang’s representative, Kuantan FA who did not turn up to face the Royal Malaysian Police at the Shah Alam Stadium in the 2018 Premier League competition. — Bernama