KANGAR, Jan 12 — Newly-elected Perlis Football Association (PFA) president Zamri Ibrahim has pledged to give priority to resolving its financial woes although he admitted not knowing the extent of the problem.
Zamri said the new office-bearers would be focusing on generating funds for the association, which has been suspended by the International Football Federation (FIFA) for failing to pay players’ salaries.
“I do not have the latest figure on PFA debts. Some say RM800,000, RM1 million, RM2 million; all sorts of figures were bandied about but nothing in black and white,” said Zamri, who was the deputy president before this.
“Before this I was not informed about the latest debts of PFA, so we need to review the situation. We want to revive PFA because this is what the people are waiting for,” he told reporters after the PFA extraordinary general meeting and election of office-bearers for the 2019-2022 term here today.
Zamri, 59, who is a lawyer, took over the president’s post from Zainuddin Osman, the private secretary to the Arau Member of Parliament.
Zamri said any party wishing to make financial claims against the association must show documentary evidence.
He said PFA would study all claims and honour them accordingly.
Zamri said although PFA had been suspended by FIFA since early last year it did not mean the association is dead and buried.
“We will meet FAM (Football Association of Malaysia) to appeal to FIFA to review the sentence. At least give some room for PFA to move again,” he added.
He said the new PFA leadership would try to send a team to the 2020 Malaysia Games in Johor in July.
The new deputy president is Abdul Ghafur Hanafi while the vice-presidents are Afifi Osman, Adam Abdullah and Datuk Ismail Osman. — Bernama
