Selangor Ruler Says He's Angry With MFL & FAM For Imposing RM100K Fine On Selangor FC
"These extreme actions by MFL do not reflect this spirit at all and will only damage the image of local football," he said.
By Sadho Ram — 26 Jun 2024, 06:32 PM
The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has called out the Malaysian Football Association (FAM) for imposing a fine on Selangor FC for withdrawing from the Charity Shield match in May
In a statement today, 26 June, Sultan Sharafudin said he feels "very disappointed and deeply saddened" with FAM president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin and the Malaysian Football League (MFL).
In the strongly worded statement, the Selangor Sultan slammed the RM100,000 fine meted out on Selangor FC for withdrawing from the Charity Shield football match against Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) on 10 May.
According to him, the decision by the MFL to impose the fine is irresponsible and lacks compassion.
"I am very angry with MFL's decision, which to me is irresponsible, inhumane, made without compassion, and did not take into account the injustice that occurred," read the ruler's official statement.
The Selangor Sultan cited the horrific acid attack on Faisal Halim, which has left the Selangor FC star player disfigured, as the reason why he had consented to the postponement of the charity match
"On 5 May, an acid attack that threatened the life of Selangor and Malaysia football icon Faisal Halim occurred. Several other attacks on professional football players also happened that same week.
"Because of this, I granted permission to Selangor FC to submit a request to postpone the Charity Shield match, as Selangor FC players were still in a state of trauma and fear. However, MFL rejected the postponement request and awarded a 3-0 victory and the Charity Shield championship to JDT," he said.
According to Sultan Sharafudin, he believes that the penalties against Selangor FC are "unreasonable and excessive" given that the victory had already been awarded to the opposing team.
He added that having been involved in the local football scene since 1968, he has "never seen a situation like this"
Noting that sports should be a platform for unity among various races, he shared his concerns that the local football scene has now been marred by violence, but MFL and FAM have not taken a serious stance or necessary precautions regarding the violence and injustice faced by the players.
He added that he is also quite puzzled by MFL and FAM, both of whom did not show sympathy and compassion towards the affected parties.
"Keep in mind that what happened not only tarnishes the credibility of football in this country but can also kill the spirit and direction of Selangor FC," he said, adding that if he was still leading the Selangor Football Association, he wouldn't hesitate to withdraw the Selangor team from the Super League.
"I want to remind once again that football is a sport loved by Malaysians, rooted in high sportsmanship. These extreme actions by MFL do not reflect this spirit at all and will only damage the image of local football and public support for this beloved sport. I remind MFL to make decisions carefully," he stated.
Earlier this month, Faisal made his first public appearance since the horrific acid attack and shared how he has been coping:
