FAM CHIEF PRESENTS WATCH LIST TO MACC
It contains details of players, referees and officials to help graft-busters monitor them
AHMAD FAIRUZ OTHMAN JOHOR BARU news@nst.com.my
ALIST of national footballers, referees, team officers and Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) staff, who need to be closely monitored, has been submitted to the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC).
FAM president Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim submitted the list when he met the MACC’s top management at Istana Bukit Pelangi here on Thursday night.
A statement from the MACC said those who attended the meeting included MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad, Deputy Chief Commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki, Johor MACC director Datuk Azmi Alias and FAM secretary-general Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin.
At the meeting, Tunku Ismail decreed that the MACC should help the national football governing body to rid the sport of graft.
The prince told the MACC that it must ensure that the country’s football was clean and free from corruption and abuse of power.
“The MACC upholds the Tunku Mahkota Johor’s decree and will support and give its full commitment to ensure that the country’s football players, match referees and sports officers are free of the crime of corruption and abuse of power.
“The MACC fully supports the continuous commitment coming from His Highness, the Tunku Mahkota Johor, towards the MACC in the fight against corruption and abuse of power in the country, generally and in the country’s development of football, specifically,” said the MACC statement yesterday.
FAM deputy president Datuk Yusoff Mahadi had said on Thursday that the association would announce several initiatives to clean up the sport in the wake of recent MACC investigations.
Three footballers from the Malaysian Indian Sports CouncilMalaysian Indian Football Association Football Club (MISC-MIFA), a 43-year-old former footballer and 49-year-old bookie had been arrested this month to assist in investigations.
FAM has also declared war on football bookies. A front-page report by the New Straits Times on Wednesday quoted several coaches who alleged that the Malaysian League was controlled by match-fixing syndicates.
The coaches also said youth footballers, who had been identified as future stars, were being targeted by bookies, and once they fell into the corruption trap, they would be “controlled” by bookies until they retired.