KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 — The Kelantan football team has been docked three points with immediate effect for the 2020 Premier League season for failing to pay the salary arrears of its players and officials in accordance with the stipulated schedule.
The team is also at risk of losing its club licence this year, which would then make it ineligible to compete in next year’s Malaysia League (M-League), if it fails to settle the arrears by Aug 31.
Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) secretary-general Stuart Ramalingam said in a statement today that the decision was made at the FAM Club Licensing First Instance Body (FIB) virtual meeting, which was chaired by Sheikh Mohd Nasir Sheikh Mohd Sharif, today.
Stuart said Kelantan managed to repay the first two instalments on Jan 31 and Feb 29. It was then given until April 30 to settle the remaining payment but the FIB decided to extend the day to July 30 in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kelantan, however, failed to settle the dues by July 30 and asked to be given until the end of the season to do so. The FIB, however, decided to stick with the July 30 deadline and meted out the three-point deduction as punishment.
The meeting also discussed issues involving the Melaka, Police and Sarawak football associations.
Sarawak is said to have arrears with the Inland Revenue Board (IRB), just like Kelantan, while Police and Melaka still owe government agencies like the IRB, Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Social Security Organisation (Socso).
Stuart said that if they do not settle the arrears by Aug 31, the FIB would look into the matter when reviewing their applications for club licence for 2021. — Bernama
