KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 — Malaysian Football Association (FAM) president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin said that suspending all international matches at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (GBK) in Jakarta would be the best punishment for rowdy Indonesian supporters.
He said it would be the final straw for the International Football Federation (Fifa) if supporters continued to cause trouble at a venue, after the latest crowd trouble incident in the 2022 World Cup/Asia Cup 2023 qualifying match between Indonesia and Malaysia on Thursday.
He also confirmed that reports of the crowd disturbance incident would also be sent to FIfa on Tuesday, along with a copy to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for further action.
Hamidin said matches between Indonesia and Malaysia were often rife with “sentiment” and that it was not the case when other teams played at the GBK.
“We know that the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) and the Indonesian authorities worked hard to prevent the incident, but they had so many supporters and it still happened. FAM is doing what it can to prevent it from happening again.
“What is happening is not condoned by Fifa. Firstly, supporters rushed into the field, they sang songs deemed derogatory to our players and supporters, the players had to take Barracuda armoured personal carrier and the match had to be halted for a few minutes.
“These are all unacceptable but we leave it to Fifa for further action,” he said when met by reporters at the Harimau Malaya squad training session at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras here today.
On Thursday, three Malaysian supporters were injured following the actions of a handful of Indonesian supporters who attacked and threw stones at them, while players were forced to return to the hotel in a Barracuda for fear of Indonesian supporters who were dissatisfied with Malaysia’s 3-2 victory over Indonesia.
Hamidin said PSSI should find the best way to educate the country’s supporters to ensure the safety of visiting teams.
Hamidin and the police have given the assurance that such an incident will not happen at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium when Malaysia meet other teams.
Malaysia will face the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in its second Group G game at the National Stadium on Tuesday. — Bernama
