NEW DANGER IN THE OFFING
Player agent Effendi alleges unreliable people are getting involved in the game
WHILE match-fixing is still a problem in the M-League, player agent Effendi Jagan now claims the competition faces a greater challenge — unpaid salaries.
Effendi, regarded as the most popular local agent in the MLeague, was commenting on the situation in Perlis FA (PFA).
PFA have not paid players’ salaries for two months, and they will likely walkout soon as they have received offers from other clubs.
The transfer window ends on Feb 20.
Their captain Safee Sali, Badhri Radzi, Nazrin Syamsul Bahri, Nasriq Baharom, Amirizdwan Taj Tajuddin, Azmi Muslim, Khyril Muhymeen Zambri and Fakhrullah Rosli are among the big names who will likely terminate their contracts by default following Perlis’ failure to pay their salaries for the last two months.
It is understood that Badhri has already returned to his hometown in Kelantan and is now looking for a new team.
It is now a question mark whether Perlis will have the services of these players for today’s Premier League match against Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in Shah Alam.
“The M-League faces a new menace. Before it was match-fixing and now we have many dubious situations in our football. This is worrying.
“The FA of Malaysia (FAM) and the Malaysian Football League (MFL) both need to come up with solutions to overcome this new problem,” Effendi told NST Sport yesterday.
Many top players joined Perlis after PFA president president Datuk Ahmad Amizal Shaifit Ahmad Rafie boasted he had RM15 million in his coffers for the entire season.
Now the team are said to be on the brink of being kicked out of their training ground at Universiti Malaya (UM) in Kuala Lumpur for not settling the rental.
It is also learnt that the club are using balls, borrowed from the now-defunct Felcra FC, for training.
“I pity the players, especially those who played for them last season in the FAM Cup. Some are now working in fish markets to earn a living. FAM and MFL should both help these players financially.”
Effendi had one player in winger Faris Ramli at Perlis but the Singaporean was advised to leave after he was told by them to settle his hotel bill.
“Faris was offered around US$10,000 (RM40,100) and subsequently signed a contract for one season. PFA had also promised to pay for his apartment.
“However, when he selected an apartment in KL, PFA failed to pay the deposit. The state FA then told him to stay at a hotel and that they would reimburse him.
“After three days, Faris informed me about it. I told him to leave immediately as something was not right. Luckily, the PFA president agreed to release him from the contract with no conditions attached.
“Faris has returned to Singapore and has signed with SLeague side Hougang United.
“Frankly, the Perlis case is the worst I have ever experienced since I became an agent,” said Effendi.
He disclosed that Safee and the other players are expected to terminate their contracts today.
“I am not sure what will happen with the foreign players. Perlis and FAM will both get into trouble if they go to Fifa.
“The concerned parties should have investigated Perlis when they submitted their application to play in the Premier League.
“Currently, everything is in a mess, and many players have been dragged into it. The players have now become victims for nothing.
“Frankly, Armed Forces, instead of Perlis should have been granted the right to play in the Premier League from the FAM Cup.
“Forces are not very rich but at least they would have budgeted their expenses accordingly,” he added.