Football ruckus: FAM given 14 days to submit report

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) may face sanctions if a report submitted to the sports commissioner about the incident at the Shah Alam Stadium, within 14 days is not satisfactory.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the Sports Commissioner had sent a letter to the FAM yesterday, urging the National governing body for football in the country to submit a report with regard to the unruly behaviour of fans during the 2018 World Cup qualifying Asian Zone Group A match between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

"FAM has been given 14 days to submit a detailed report of the incident. After studying the report the Sports Commissioner will decide on the next course of action.

"We need to give them the right to reply," he told reporters at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Sports Council and five National Sports Associations selected for the Sports Development Programme.

"However, I do not have the powers to revamp the FAM. I can only question the FAM if there was any wrong doing. Many have come to me, asking me to change the FAM set up but I cannot do it.

"We have no choice until they fixed the problem...there are issues that the people do not understand. We do not want the FAM to be suspended but want to see changes."

Khairy said he was informed that the Malaysian Embassy in Saudi Arabia had received a letter from the Saudi government to protest the outcome of their match against Malaysia which was abandoned in the 88th minute when Saudi Arabia was leading 2-1.

He said he knows the consequences of being firm since the FAM could be suspended by FIFA for the action of the fans because security is the responsibility of the home team, in this case Malaysia.

The match referee Liu Kwok Man from Hong Kong decided to stop the match due to security reasons and safety of the players when fans started hurling smoke bombs, flares and rocket parachute flares onto the pitch.

Meanwhile, the five sports selected for the programme are swimming, badminton, cycling, athletics and sepak takraw.

Khairy when interviewed on a #TanyaGomen programme today urged NSAs to be proactive in assisting the government to develop talent at the grassroots to enhance sports in the country.

"Since the government took over the development of sports, NSAs have taken a back seat and depend heavily on the government for funds and development programmes to be carried out.

"The NSAs must instead join forces with the government to search for talented athletes, especially in sports like football, badminton and squash," he said adding that cricket would be among sports included in the SEA Games programme in 2017.