Cheque-mate!
Hefty fine son three teams for not settling arrears
PETALING JAYA: Pay your fines or risk further repercussions!
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) will brook no nonsense after slapping fines on three teams – Kuantan FA, Penang and Terengganu City – amounting to RM79,500.
Kuantan FA will need to pay a RM66,000 and risk further sanctions if they fail to settle RM1,804,325 in arrears to 44 of their players and officials.
Penang have to settle a RM12,000 fine for failing to pay arrears of RM377,000 for eight of their former players.
Terengganu City were fined RM1,500 for failing to pay former coach Roshadi Wahab RM180,000, RM60,000 in overdue wages and RM120,000 for compensation.
The teams’ dues to players and officials add up to RM2,361,325.
FAM disciplinary committee chairman Datuk Baljit Singh Sidhu issued a statement on the fines after the ninth disciplinary committee meeting for the 20172021 term on Thursday.
The highest hit was Kuantan FA’s former head coach Ismail Zakaria, who is owed RM300,000 by the club. Brazilian midfielder Rancho Da Silva Andre Francisco, better known as Andrezinho, is also affected as the club owe him RM118,000.
Two former key players Abdul Malik Mat Ariff and Abdul Manaf Mamat are owed RM50,000 and RM70,000 respectively by the East Coast club.
Kuantan FA are certainly on FAM’s radar as they have been implicated in several salary delay cases.
They were booted out of the Malaysian Premier League in April for their no-show in a league match.
As for Premier League side Penang, the players affected are Mafry Balang (RM76,000), Muhamad Faizat Ghazli (RM48,000), Sani Anuar Kamsani (RM80,000), Muhammad Rafiuddin Roddin (RM60,000), K. Reuben (RM40,000), Muhammad Jafri Firdaus Chew (RM28,000), Shazalee Ramlee (RM25,000) and Syed Adney Syed Hussein (RM20,000).
If Penang do not settle the amount, they risk further sanctions from the FAM.
All three teams must settle their fines in the next 14 days and their arrears in the next 60 days. The FAM have warned these teams that if they don’t resolve their penalties and arrears, they will face further sanctions.
Meanwhile, another club Kuala Lumpur City Hall Sports Club were ordered by the FAM to settle arrears worth RM144,000 to 10 of their players and officials within the next 60 days.