FAM yet to make a decision on M-League broadcast rights - Tengku Abdullah

Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) President Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said the issue of revenue from broadcasting rights has not been finalised yet.

Tengku Abdullah said various factors need to be studied carefully before making a decision, including studying the existing contract with Astro, the current broadcast sponsor for the M-League.

"The FAM will call presidents of all the affiliated states and teams to get their feedback, views and approval. We need to get the approval of all the stake holders before making the final decision," he told reporters after witnessing the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Yayasan Bank Rakyat and Yayasan Sultan Abdul Aziz at Istana Abdul Aziz, here Tuesday.

The FAM had announced their partnership with London-based MP & Silva for the setting up of a company, Football Malaysia Limited Liability Partnership (FMLLP), to run the M-League.

FAM later announced that MP & Silva, an international media rights company, has guaranteed a RM1.26 billion fund over a 15-year period for the FMLLP.

Under the agreement, MP & Silva is expected to channel RM70 million per year to FMLLP from 2016-2021; RM85 million per year from 2022-2024; RM92 million from 2025-2027; and RM103 million from 2028-2030.

It was reported by a local daily that under the previous RM120 million four-year deal between the FAM and Astro from 2011 to 2014, which ended last year, the M-League teams received RM200,000 annually and a RM15,000 fee for each live telecast match for the home team.

Meanwhile, Tengku Abdullah who is also the Tengku Mahkota of Pahang urged students at the Menara Gading Academy to be focused in their education to ensure a better future and to upkeep the name of the institution.

Tengku Abdullah who is also the patron of the academy said if students produced excellent result to raise the image of the academy, it will attract more institutions to come forward and offer them assistance.

Through the signing of the MoU, Yayasan Bank Rakyat will provide scholarship to 100 poor students from 2016 to 2018.

The Menara Gading Academy which was set up under Yayasan Istana Abdulaziz in 1999 was aimed at helping poor and needy children to obtain quality education.