KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 — The suspension imposed on Selangor FC’s sensational winger Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim should serve as a lesson to all parties, especially professional players, regarding the issuance of statements, said Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia (PFAM) president Mohd Safee Sali.
He said professional players should use the media platform wisely and that the ethics of dealing with the media should be given emphasis in the development of local footballers.
“Actually, there is a good side to what happened as it opened the eyes of all quarters and the players themselves regarding the handling of media.
“In football, a professional player not only plays but also talks to the media, and there should be education about making statements in social media. This matter should be part of the development system,” he told Bernama when contacted here today.
Yesterday, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) announced that Mohamad Faisal, better known as Mickey, has been suspended for a month by the FAM Disciplinary Committee.
The 25-year-old, a key player of Harimau Malaya, was found to have breached Article 61 of the FAM Code of Ethics (Press Statement) and Article 82 of the FAM Statute (Contribution to Media) through the statement he made in a media interview after a Super League match against Sabah FC at Stadium Likas, Kota Kinabalu, on April 27.
According to the decision, Mickey was suspended four months (July 25 to November 21) but he has to serve only one month (July 25 to August 23), with the remaining three-month suspension deferred subject to a 12-month good behaviour beginning August 24.
Mohd Safee, a former national player, said players needed to respect the sentence imposed for breaching regulations and he believed this would be a useful lesson for Mickey.
“I myself was suspended for a month, not for making media statements but for improper behaviour towards the referee. To me, we need to respect the law; I learnt from what happened and I believe Mohamad Faisal would too,” he said.
Meanwhile, national football legend Datuk Jamal Nasir advised players to be more cautious when making statements and hoped the suspension of Mickey would be a wake-up call.
The 68-year-old former national defender said any suspension would have an impact on not only the player himself but also the squad’s journey in a challenging season.
“Use the punishment on Mohamad Faisal as an example to see whether it is relevant or not to comment on matters such as the referee’s decision and the like. When we lose we have to accept the defeat and make a self-reflection.
“A player should think about his impact to the team. If you know you are a regular and key to the team, you should be smarter than others,” he said.
Jamal, who is a member of the FAM Technical Committee, said the national body can take action against anyone for breach of regulations, with suspension being the normal sentence imposed on offenders. — Bernama
