99 per cent of M-League teams complete privatisation process

SEREMBAN, Sept 30 -- A total of 19 teams, or 99 per cent, have completed the Malaysia League (M-League) privatisation process, which involves turning football associations (FAs) into football clubs (FCs), when the deadline ended today.

Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) executive committee member Mohd Firdaus Mohamed said only UKM FC and Felda United FC had yet to be privatised.

“Felda United, for example, can’t get the consent from the Felda Board of Directors because they are using Felda’s name and we are not talking about consent from Felda’s team management. That’s what we are waiting for,” he said after the ceremony to hand over financial contribution and announcement of the Negeri Sembilan Football Club (NSFC) here today.

Mohd Firdaus, who is also FAM Professional Football Special Committee chairman, said a decision on the matter would be made soon, where teams who fail to be privatised would be demoted to the M3 League.

“Through privatisation, teams can be empowered and the objective is to avoid issues such as non-payment of salaries and not contributing to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF). We have made this separation to ensure there is a chief executive officer (CEO) responsible to the team and management.

“Through the FC, not only will the shareholders have a big responsibility, but also the director appointed by them. If there are any issues, for example failure to pay salaries or contributing to the EPF, we will look for the director and then only the shareholders,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the new NSFC logo was launched at the function by the Tunku Besar Tampin, Tunku Syed Razman Tunku Syed Idrus Al-Qadri, who is also the Negeri Sembilan Football Association (NSFA) president, and Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, who is also the NSFA advisor.

Tunku Syed Razman, who said they would set a date to appoint the CEO for NSFC, hoped that the team’s value would rise now that they have been privatised.

“We are still negotiating with companies and individuals keen on becoming sponsors before going on to take over the privatisation. It’s still too early to name the CEO,” he said after receiving financial and sponsorship contributions amounting to RM3.5 million from the Negeri Sembilan government, Negeri Roadstone Sdn Bhd and Gemencheh Granite.

-- BERNAMA