‘We are not foolish people’

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Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

KUCHING: The FA of Malaysia (FAM) should be more open in accepting criticism and comments from others so that it can further uplift the standard of football in Malaysia.

Assistant Youth Development Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the football governing body would only create more adversaries if it closed its doors to views from others.

“I am not too concerned with the views of the FAM president (Sultan Ahmad Shah), but the actions of the FAM disciplinary committee should be more ethical to avoid making decisions which are unreasonable, cruel, overzealous and killing the sport of football.

“Despite this, the president of FAM must be ready to accept criticisms. A president of a governing body like FAM is not above the board and not a person who cannot be reprimanded,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.

Abdul Karim, also Asajaya assemblyman, was making his comments on a national daily report yesterday which quoted Sultan Ahmad Shah as branding the move by Sarawak fans to urge FA of Sarawak (FAS) to withdraw from FAM as foolish.

Sultan Ahmad Shah had also urged football fans and fan clubs to understand the FAM’s laws and regulations first before calling for the withdrawal of its affiliates.

Prior to this, FAM had imposed fines totalling RM75,500 on FAS because of unruly behaviour by fans, as well as penalising the state football team to play the upcoming four home matches behind closed doors. It was not the first time FAM has heavily penalised those who have criticised the governing body, referee and the national team, as well as for making comments in the media.

Even the FAM deputy president Tan Sri Anuar Musa was not spared from punishment. Other individuals who were penalised include coaches Wan Jamak Wan Hassan and B. Sathianathan, the late Datuk Paduka Ahmad Basri Mohd Akil and Datuk Seri Raja Ahmad Zainuddin Raja Omar.

According to Karim again, many people in the state including his own friends were of the opinion that FAM was too harsh on FAS.

“FAM penalised not just FAS, but also the people of this state, and thus we have the right to say we are hurt and not happy by the decision made by FAM,” he said.

“A lot of my friends supported my earlier statement suggesting FAS to consider playing in other leagues”.

FAS president Datu Sudarsono Osman at a press conference last Sunday said it would use diplomacy to resolve the issue and no hasty action should be taken, thus assuring that FAS would not pull out from FAM.

He urged football fans in the state to be patient as the association would be making appeals over the punishment handed down by FAM.