State FAs must swallow their pride and support FAM

FA of Malaysia will see yet another change for the 2010 M-League, but this time around it has to be done to save the League.

I will not go into the outstanding amount of RM6.2 million to the Employees Provident Fund and the FAM's threat to bar them. I will believe it when it happens.

I will also not touch on recommendations by the FAM competition committee that all teams make a RM500,000 deposit for the main division from next season and RM300,000 for those in the second division.

Remember the bank guarantee requirement rule for foreign players playing in the league, so that State FAs do not run into problems with salaries for them. (Read this story)
Whatever happened to that rule? If it had been implemented rigidly, many State FAs would not have run into difficulties.

But what I would like to touch on is the recommendation of going Semi-Pro again. Yes, we are going back wards after having gone Semi-Pro in 1989 to 1995 and gone professional from 1996.

But sometimes it is better to take a step backwards before taking a leap every year into deeper pitfalls.

It is about time for the FA of Malaysia and State FAs to swallow their pride and make that bold decision to return to a Semi-Pro league.

It is no harm in cutting your coat according to your cloth.

I had suggested that we should return to Semi-Pro league a decade ago (Read this story). only three years after we had gone fully professional.

My concern now is that the State FAs will fight tooth and nail to keep the League professional. I just hope that some common sense will prevail among all and the right decision is made for the sake of Malaysian soccer.

If there is anyone to be blamed for the current state of Malaysian soccer, it is the State FAs. Of course they are not going to admit it and they will again fight till the end and blame everyone else but themselves. The Education Ministry and Sports Ministry too have to be blamed, because of their neglect of ensuring schools soccer was a vital clog to development.

I just hope that the president of FA of Malaysia, HRH Sultan Ahmad Shah, will put his foot down and even if he has to use his veto power to the displeasure of the State FAs, please Tuanku do it for the game.

Here's wishing that the State FAs' will finally come to terms with the reality and gravity of the current soccer standards and make the wise decision of returning to a Semi-Pro league.