Errant teams not getting full grants
10 teams facing fines from Football Malaysia LLP (FMLLP) for late or incomplete submission of registration documents will not get their annual grant in full.
M-League organisers FMLLP will automatically deduct the fines of RM1.5 million for four Super League teams and RM500,000 for six Premier League sides from their 2018 allocation of RM3 million and RM1 million respectively.
“Super League and Premier League teams will receive their annual grants on Wednesday but those which have been fined will only receive an amount after deducting their respective fines,” said FMLLP chief executive Kevin Ramalingam.
“For example, Super League side Selangor, who are supposed to receive RM3 million, will only get RM1.5 million after deducting the fine.
“But we will return whatever amount that is reduced after the teams submit their appeals against the fines imposed.
“The appeals will be decided by our board and we hope to have a decision before our congress on March 25.”
The annual grants have been increased from RM1 million to RM3 million for Super League teams and from RM500,000 to RM1 million for Premier League teams this year after FMLLP chairman Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim secured additional income from sponsorship and broadcast rights.
The four affected Super League teams which will receive a cut in their grants are Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, PKNS and Selangor while the six Premier League teams are Kuantan, Malaysian Indian FA, Penang, Police, Sarawak and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
Kevin said even though pressure has been put on some teams to withdraw from the MLeague as a protest over the severity of the fines, FMLPP will not be swayed to change their decision.
“No team have officially applied to withdraw but if they do then they will have to be responsible to their players and fans,” he said.
“It would not have been fair to stop the teams from playing at the start of the season just because of an error committed by one or two individuals.
“Some say the fines are too high. Previously, nobody took it seriously when we cut points. Now that we imposed fines, everyone has become aware. Without stern action, they would maintain the same attitude.”