Still no updates from Malaysian cops on alleged attack on football fan at last year’s FA Cup final, poison pen letter, say football bodies
The Malaysian Football League (MFL) and Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) have yet to receive updates from the Royal Malaysia Police regarding two episodes that rocked the domestic football scene.
MFL chief executive officer Datuk Stuart Ramalingam said he was waiting for updates from the police regarding allegations made by a fan who claimed he had been attacked by Johor Military Force personnel during the FA Cup final at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Johor, last year.
“I am unable to comment as it is a police case. I will provide more information once the cops update us,” said Stuart.
“It is not an issue of fans fighting, but of an alleged incident between a fan and the security personnel.
“Immediately after the alleged incident, we had a briefing with all the teams’ security and told them not to be so heavy-handed when dealing with fans,” he added.
FAM, had last November, fined Johor Darul Ta'zim RM15,000 following the incident that took place during the final between the Southern Tigers and Kuala Lumpur City FC.
Stuart was met at the sidelines of the groundbreaking ceremony of the National Training Centre (NTC) in Malaysia’s administrative capital, Putrajaya, this morning. Also present were Asian Football Confederation (AFC) general secretary Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John, Fifa director of member associations (Asia & Oceania) Sanjeevan C. Balasingam, Fifa lead regional office (East & Southeast Asia) Lavin Vignesh, FAM president Datuk Hamidin Amin, and Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
When asked about the damning poison pen letter against key FAM officials, Hamidin declined to comment and said: “You have to ask Tan Sri Aseh (Che Mat).”
Aseh is the national body’s Integrity Committee chairman. Twentytwo13 reached out to Aseh, who told this news outlet that he was “still waiting” for the police to update him on the investigations into the matter.
The poison pen letter was emailed to stakeholders, including the Youth and Sports Ministry, and several media outlets, a day before the 60th FAM Annual Congress on April 1.
The poison pen letter raised concerns about FAM’s leadership, alleged financial woes, raised questions about the National Training Centre (NTC) project, and took issue with Hamidin Amin’s salary, among others. FAM rubbished the allegations in the poison pen letter.
Twentytwo13, on May 28, reported that police had called up several current, and former FAM employees regarding its investigations into the poison pen letter. At least three individuals were subjected to a polygraph test.
Police have also not provided updates on investigations into the attacks on three Malaysian footballers in May.
On May 2, Terengganu FC footballer Akhyar Rashid was assaulted during a ‘robbery’ in Kuala Terengganu. On May 5, acid was splashed on Selangor FC’s Faisal Halim, at a shopping mall in Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, resulting in horrific burns to his head and arm. On May 7, JDT’s Safiq Rahim had his car’s rear windscreen smashed by unknown assailants near the club’s training centre in Jalan Seri Gelam, Johor Bahru.
Meanwhile, the groundbreaking ceremony for the NTC at Precinct 5 was the culmination of a plan by the former FAM president, Sultan Ahmad Shah, who had long wanted to establish a football hub, including an administrative and training centre in Putrajaya.
Besides the NTC, FAM, AFC, and the Asean Football Federation are set to build their new headquarters there, turning the area into a ‘Football City’.
Fifa allocated US$5.2 million for Phase 1 of the project, which included the construction of training facilities, and three fields, which will be ready by December 2026.
The Malaysian government has allocated RM45 million for Phase 2, which involves building the infrastructure. This should be ready by December 2027.
Although FAM will move its headquarters to Putrajaya, Hamidin said the national body will retain its current premises in Kelana Jaya for the national junior teams.
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