KUALA LUMPUR, 28 July – Kedah football is in a total financial mess and things do not look good for the reigning FA Cup champions when Kedah FA President, Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor revealed that the association’s debts stood at a massive RM10.6 million.
In the same breath, Sanusi, who is also the Menteri Besar, drove a strong message – that is more political – that state funds will not be used to settle the dues for the players and coaches who have not been paid their salaries for five months this year.
The players have taken to the social media to vent their frustrations and one foreign player went to the extent of asking his agent to report the matter to FIFA, the world football governing body. This is nothing new to FIFA which has practically been dealing with such cases in Malaysia every other year.
It is a shame that when we talk so much about professionalism in the game and take the sport to a higher level on the international front Malaysian football is hogging the limelight for wrong reasons.
Sanusi, who is the new KFA president after the change of leadership in the state government, has made it clear that he will not use state funds to pay the late salaries. At the same time, he has frozen RM1.5 million that was allocated by former Menteri Besar and KFA president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir.
It is a shame that Kedah – a powerhouse in Malaysian football – has fallen from grace. It is a disgrace that when politics rules in sports there is no respect and dignity given to the players who have brought glory to the state in winning titles in the M-League.
These players and coaches should be accorded what is due to them. They have made sacrifices and football is their livelihood. They too, like any other human being, have families and their welfare cannot be ignored due to the shortcomings of the management.
If there are any signs of mismanagement a report should be lodged with the proper authorities so that the culprits can be brought to justice and banned from holding any position in the association.
Learn from past mistakes and things are being screwed up once too often. Kedah and others need to get through such deep-seated problems. What Kedah is undergoing now is not inspiring and those with power should pull the curtain back on another hard truth.
Malaysian football needs to wake up from its slumber and take stock of the situation. Kedah is not alone in not having paid salaries and they have found a ready-made excuse in the Covid-19 pandemic for the financial mess. Melaka and Kelantan are the other teams.
Another point to be noted is that those who have positions in their state FAs should not be allowed to hold a post in the FA of Malaysia if their state FA runs foul with such matters as overdue salaries.
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