KUALA LUMPUR, 12 Aug – After enduring nightmarish five months without pay, Kedah players were finally paid a month’s salary which was credited into their accounts on Tuesday – lifting some of the gloom in the Red Eagles camp before the M-League resumes on Aug 26.
The salary credited into the accounts of the players and team officials like coaches is for the month of July.
However, question marks remain on when the salaries for the months of March, April, May, and June will be paid.
Kedah FA President, Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor (pic left), who is also the Menteri Besar, however, has promised to resolve the remaining salary dues in a “win-win” situation soon, stressing that the arrears will not be carried forward to next year.“That’s my promise,” he said.
Speaking at a dinner hosted by him for the team at his official residence Seri Mentaloon in Alor Setar, Sanusi added: ”I give my guarantee that the outstanding issues will be resolved this season.
”We do not want to carry the arrears into next season. I also apologize on behalf of the old and the new management for the salary arrears. Through negotiations, we have also worked a deal on Kedah FA’s outstanding EPF (Employees Provident Fund) contributions.”
According to Sanusi the figures for the arrears to the EPF and the Inland Revenue Board is RM3.8 million.
Kedah, winners of the FA Cup last year, sent shock waves in the football fraternity when news came out that the players have not been their salaries for this year.
It came to a stage when Kedah’s Singaporean coach Aidil Sharin Shak had to fork out his own money, reportedly to the tune of RM20,000, to help tide things over during the team’s training due to the financial mess.
For the remainder of the 2020 season, Kedah needs a minimum of RM25 million for the team that is currently seventh in the Super League with four points after four matches before the league was suspended on March 16 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Kedah has lined up a number of friendlies matches against Selangor and Perak before the team resumes its Super League campaign with an away match against Police at the KL Football Stadium in Cheras on Aug 27.
The Red Eagles will be at home to Petaling Jaya City FC on Sept 2 before traveling to the Tun Abdul Razak Stadium for the match against Felda United (Sept 6) and it will be another home match when they play Sabah on Sept 9.
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