FAM's showcause letter will be handled by Sports Commissioner, not me - KJ

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin will not interfere in any decision made by the Sports Commissioner with regard to a show cause letter to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

The FAM was issued a show cause letter by the Sports Commissioner's office after crowd trouble forced the 2018 World Cup/2019 Asia Cup qualifier between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia to be called off.

The FAM was subsequently given 14 days from Sept 9 to reply to the show cause letter on the commotion at the Shah Alam Stadium on Sept 8.

Khairy said only the Sports Commissioner Datuk Zaiton Othman is vested with the powers to make a decision.

"The show cause letter must be replied and the Sports Commissioner will make a decision based on the Sports Development Act 1997. Only when there is an appeal over the decision they can sent the appeal to me.

"If I am involved in the decision making, then I cannot entertain the appeal," he told reporters after launching the Festival Score FitMob at the KDU, College, here today.

The directive about the show cause letter was issued by Khairy who had said failure to reply within the stipulated period or giving a non-satisfactory answer, would risk FAM being suspended by the Sports Commissioner.

PHOTO ALBUM: The 2018 World Cup qualifying football match between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

The Malaysia-Saudi Arabia match was stopped by match referee Liu Kwok Man from Hong Kong in the 88th minute after fans started hurling fire crackers, smoke bombs and flares onto the pitch.