THE SHAME OF M-LEAGUE TEAMS RIDDLED WITH DEBT

FMT - COLUMN

Tony Mariadass

 August 1, 2020

 


                                     
                              
                                       

M-League football teams, struggling to stay afloat in a sea of debt, must stop treating the youth and sports ministry and state governments as cash machines.

Some state teams are sinking deeper into a sludge of enormous debt, running up expenses that far outstrip incomes.

It is infuriating when state football associations continue to seek a bailout by taxpayers to cover salaries of players and coaches, transport and flight costs, and dues to the Inland Revenue Board and the Employees Provident Fund.

Almost every team in the M-League claims to have suffered losses during the Covid-19 lockdown because of poor gate collections. But teams will lose out on gate collections only when they play in empty stadiums when the league resumes at the end of August.

Only ill-prepared administrations with no reserve funds need to rely on gate collections to see them through the season.

Moreover, teams saved a bundle on operational expenses and travel costs during the lockdown period, with further savings in salary cuts among players, coaches, and administrative staff since March 18.

More money will be saved with the remaining season reduced to a one-round league.

Let’s look at Super League side Kedah and Premier League Kelantan: both failed to pay their players and coaches, in Kedah’s case for the last five months, it is believed.

Kedah FA president Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, who is also the menteri besar, said last Sunday that the state government cannot arbitrarily channel funds to settle arrears of salaries and other dues.

Former menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir was said to have pledged an allocation of RM1.5 million to the FA, but the funds have not been approved by the current state government.

“Do the fans want me to take the money meant for the poor, orphans and single mothers and channel it to the players?” he said. Sanusi said the state FA’s problems began under the previous management, and current debt stands at RM10.6 million.

But when he took over as FA president, Sanusi must have known that it was his responsibility to settle the association’s liabilities.

 Kedah MB Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor elected unopposed as new Kedah FA president on July 12 at their EGM with his newly elected Council members Kedah FA Facebook picture.

In Kelantan, FA officials met with sports minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican last week for advice on how to settle the RM2 million in wages owed to seven foreign players.

The Penang FA said last week they had resolved their salary crisis after paying its players and officials what was owed for April, May and June.

Just as with last season, the state government helped settle the debts.

Phasing out state FAs from professional football

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has finally moved to end the role of state football associations, 26 years after football went professional.

It is now mandatory for states and clubs to privatise their teams for the AFC Cup and Champions league tournaments, and to obtain licences from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), by Sept 30. Applications must be submitted by Aug 31.

Privatisation will ensure accountability and make those taking over the clubs responsible for the liabilities.

Teams who fail to meet the deadlines will be banned from next season’s M-League.

Previous attempts by the FAM to press for a professional setup were met with resistance by state associations and some of them are expected to oppose the move at council meetings.

There are already murmurs that some state FAs have suggested outsourcing their teams.

Professional football is much like a business and needs to be run like a corporate organisation with transparency, integrity and accountability.

Above all, it must be a sustainable organisation with funds sourced through sponsorship, profitable ventures and football industry businesses like merchandising, branding and advertising.

State FAs must decide if they want to be part of a professional football setup or remain as amateurs and intensify Malaysian football’s ills.

 

 BLOG VERSION

Saturday Aug 1

State FAs must be truly professional or ship out

No compromise from FAM for teams who fail to convert from FA to FC for 2021 season

 Tony Mariadass

THE Ministry of Sports and state government must not be treated as if they are welfare organisations for the professional State FA football teams in the M-League. 

The sooner State FAs realise this and manage their teams more professionally without depending on the Ministry of Sports and state governments to bail them out every time they run into debts mainly due to wages for players and coaches[H1] , their chances of them continuing playing in the M-league will be brighter.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has never been more serious about revamping its structure and put an end to football associations,

It is now mandatory that states and clubs must privatise their teams and be licensed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

The deadline for privatisation is Sept 30, while applications for licences which will be issued by FAM’s Club Licensing Department and approved by AFC, must be submitted by Aug 31.

Currently two teams – Kedah from the Super League and Premier League's Kelantan – are facing difficulties in paying their players and coaches.

Happier times for Kedah team - 2019 FA Cup Champion Kedah FA - Kedah FA Facebook picture

President of Kedah FA Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, who is also the new Kedah Menteri Besar replacing Mukhriz Mahathir, said last Sunday that the state government cannot arbitrarily channel funds or allocations to settle salaries of players representing the state team in the M-League.

 It is believed the Kedah FA (KFA) have not paid their players for the last five months besides payment to Inland Revenue Board (IRB), Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and team's transport and flight ticket providers.

Muhriz was said to have pledged a RM1.5 million allocations earlier, but it has not been released by the current state government, as it said that it has not been approved.

Kelantan, on the other hand, went to see Sports Minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican last week to seek his advice on how to settle the debts their team had inherited and must have also tried to get some funding.

Kelantan have arrears amounting to RM2 million owing to seven foreign players.

Also last week, Football Association of Penang (FAP) announced that they had resolved their salary crisis after settling what was owed to its players and officials for April, May and June this year.

 

The announcement was made by FAP president Dr Amar Pritpal Abdullah after Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow witnessed the team's training session at the Penang State Stadium near Batu Kawan after earlier officiating the opening of the stadium's running track.

Like last season, when the team’s debt woes were assisted by the state government, it was the same this season.

Kuala Lumpur FA also has a problem as its current president, Khalid Samad, is no longer the Federal Territory Minister. The FT Minister is now Tan Sri Annuar Musa,

Khalid during his tenture had allocated RM5 million for the season which the KLFA has been managing quite well so far.  What happens now that Khalid is no longer the Federal Territory Minister, is left to be seen. Is KLFA going to have an EGM like Kedah FA did and bring Annuar on board?

State FAs being aligned to political parties must stop.

Professional football is much like a business and needs to be run like a corporate organisation with transparency, integrity, accountability and above all to be a sustainable organisation with funds sourced through sponsorship, profitable ventures, football industry businesses like merchandising, branding and advertising.

Almost every team in the M-League is claiming to have suffered losses during the three-month Covid-19 Movement Control Order (MCO), citing loss of revenue from gate collections. 

How can gate collection be listed as a team's income when it is subjective and nothing is guaranteed.

Besides, did teams not save a bundle when not having to pay for electricity and water for their offices, no match organisational, travel and accommodation cost involved during MCO?

Also, with salary reductions for players, coaching and administration staff during the past three months, surely this was further saving.

Besides, every team must surely have a budget for the season with already secured funds and not depend on gate collection.

Yes, when the League resumes at the end of August and teams have to play matches in empty stadiums, only then will they will lose out in gate collection. But as mentioned earlier gate collection is not a guaranteed income for their respective budgets.

The number of matches to be played this season has also been reduced to a one-round league and this is surely another saving!

State FAs must decide if they want to be part of a professional football setup or just make up the numbers and remain as amateurs.

Twenty-six years after going professional, the time is ripe to put things right once and for all.

Many were upset when Sanusi said he was not going to take money from anywhere to solve Kedah FA's monetary woes. He claimed that the problem had begun under the previous management and that the current debt amount stood at RM10.6 million.

 "The mistakes were made under the previous management. Do the fans want me to take the money meant for the poor, orphans and single mothers and channel it to the players?" he asked.

But when taking over the reins from the previous management Sanusi must have known the liabilities the association had and is responsible to settle it.

However, credit to Sanusi for having confirmed that KFA would be holding a meeting on Monday to find a solution to the crisis, and to re-evaluate the implementation of several matters when under the previous management.

It is for this reason the FA of Malaysia, in line with FIFA and AFC, are making it mandatory for State FAs to privatise their teams to set up football clubs where there will be accountability and responsibility for anyone who comes on to helm the club, to take over the liability.

“Teams failing to meet the deadlines will be banned from next season’s M-League,” said FAM general secretary Stuart Michael Ramalingam.

The licensing and privatisation was part of the requirement for teams who qualify for the AFC Cup and Champions League.

Previous attempts by FAM to press for a professional setup were met with resistance by state associations and it will be no surprise there will be State FAs who oppose it at the council meetings. There is already murmurs from some State FAs suggesting to outsource their team.

“The regulations for licensing and privatising the teams are very clear and has to be adhered,” said added Stuart.

Ends.

IT'S TOUGH NEW YEAR RESOLUTION, AS USUAL

DECEMBER 30, 2016 MALAYMAIL

IT’S that time once again as the New Year dawns upon us on Sunday to make resolutions.

More often than not resolutions are made with enthusiasm and many unrealistic ones are made in the process.

However, so often when the next New Year comes around, a year from now, we are no better off than we were last year.

And it’s no surprise when many fail to not being able to uphold their resolutions no matter how hard they tried.

However, we still believe it was always worth trying, but among the sports fraternity, I wonder if they actually have resolutions that get fullfilled. 

Yet, a majority of the National Sports Associations (NSAs) start out hoping for the best.

However, in fairness to a handful of associations, who run their bodies professionally, they have programmes with emphasis on grassroots development. They are the ones who time and again come out tops and continue to progress.

And it is associations governing badminton, squash, cycling, gymnastics, waterski and wakeboard, and tenpin bowling which continue to give Malaysian sports a good name.

Others which do well and in line to raise the bar include basketball, cricket, golf, hockey, netball, rugby, snooker and billiards, swimming and wushu.

But much more can be done by all and those who have not been doing much, they had better make it their resolution to shape up or ship out!

The biggest worry associations always face is the lack of finance, yes, it is agreed times are bad and sponsorship, big or small, is hard to come by, and many of sports supporters are already tied down with chosen associations.

It is time to think out of the box and get rid of the dole mentality.

NSAs must stop running to the National Sports Council (NSC) with the begging bowl and instead learn to manage their grassroots programmes by themselves.

Grassroot programmes must be managed by NSAs, full stop.

Otherwise, they might as well hand over their associations to NSC.

For next year, NSC have a budget of RM1.2 billion, of which RM450 million will go towards preparing athletes for the Sea Games and Asean Para Games which Malaysia will host from August to September.

Another RM75 million has also been allocated for the Podium Programme, which is geared to the 2020 Olympic gold medal target.

The programme also targets a top-10 medal finish at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia and Commonwealth Games in Australia the same year.

Under the Kita Juara programme, even sports associations who have in the past not been receiving much assistance from NSC as they are considered ‘minor’ sports, will get aid to prepare their athletes for the Games.

This is to ensure Malaysia as hosts emerge champions in the biennial Games.

A target of 100 gold medals or more is the target to achieve the overall championship title.

A lot of money is being spent towards the Games besides just for training — infra-structure, beautification, transportation, accommodation, opening and closing ceremonies and many other areas.

But it is hoped money spent through this Games leaves behind a legacy and a foundation for many sports to use this platform to higher levels in the coming years.

However, if NSAs are just going to use the funds for the Games to ride on the bandwagon without and clear objectives, it is going to be money down the drain.

Without doubt the resolution for NSAs for this year must be to win as many gold medals as their athletes can to aid Malaysia emerge champions last achieved when the country hosted the 2001 Games winning 111 gold, 98 silver and 86 bronze medals.

Happy New Year everyone, but the sports fraternity should hold their celebrations till Aug 31 — the last day of the SEA Games and Merdeka Day.

TONY is a sports journalist with close to four decades of experience and is passionate about local sports.

He can be reached at tmariadass@gmail.com​

Treat young athletes with dignity, please

Commentary

It is embarrassing that the cream of our young athletes had to compete with minimum sports attire and equipment at the 17th Asian Junior athletics championship that ended in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday.

That the contingent of 24 athletes, five coaches and one team manager had to travel without an official bag, tracksuit and jogging shoes is indeed sad.

Indeed, the Malaysian athletes wore their own outfits at the prize presentation for the winners.

They had been given just one running vest with the word “Malaysia" printed on the back and a pair of shorts and two round-neck T-shirts without any wordings for the duration of the trip from June 1 to 7.

Whatever reason the Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) come up with for this poor state of affairs – even if their sponsor Mizuno could not supply them with the official attire in time – is unacceptable.

MAF should have been better prepared for such a prestigious and premier junior athletic event in which 18 countries competed.

Granted, the association is trying to stand on its own two feet unlike many of the others, which rely heavily on the National Sports Council (NSC), but at least the athletes are well attired whenever they travel with NSC’s support.

To see our athletes at the youth event in all kinds of colour did not put Malaysia in good light.

Just three weeks ago, in this column, I had said athletics was beginning to shine again with many budding athletes on the rise, whose future looked bright.

I had also said that the athletes had to be well looked after, guided and given the best coaching opportunities and exposure.

To send a contingent to an Asian-level meet poorly attired certainly does not give such an impression and does not do much for their image.

If these athletes get disillusioned at an early age, the future of athletics may be in danger.

I do not advocate spoiling the athletes but they must be treated with respect and dignity.

MAF had given each athlete an allowance of RM180 for the seven-day event, which works out to about RM25 per day.

Again, I do not advocate splashing money on the athletes but surely they could have been given a more decent allowance? Twenty-five ringgit is about US$6 and in a country where US dollars are commonly used, the amount would not have taken the athletes very far.

They could not have bought their peers from other countries a decent meal or drink, or purchased souvenirs for their loved ones with a princely US$6!

I just hope some of the athletes did not resort to selling their vest or T-shirts to souvenir hunters for extra cash!

Yes, the athletes were provided with accommodation and all their meals but they could have still been given something like RM50 a day.

Athletes for the Malaysia Games (Sukma) probably get more.

Maybe MAF are cash-strapped and that was all they could afford. If that was the case, the association had better start working on raising funds through sponsorships or donations.

I know MAF are trying to get things right but it must be a concerted effort by the whole council, not just a few individuals in the council. If anyone wants to serve on the council, they must be prepared to work hard to raise money for the association and take care of the athletes. Otherwise, they should do the honourable thing and step down; make way for those who are genuinely interested in the sport and want to contribute.

Indeed, athletics is the poor cousin of football.

When they travel, the national footballers – be they seniors or juniors – do it in style. They wear suits and are given a suitcase of attire and equipment, not to mention handsome allowances and bonuses.

No wonder many youngsters prefer to play football rather than take up athletics.

Meanwhile, our young athletes did Malaysia proud at the recent event, winning three gold medals, three silvers and a bronze out of the 44 at stake. They finished fourth on the table while Japan finished at the top with 13-10-4, China in second place (11-7-4) and India in third place (7-4-6).

Without doubt, Malaysia has a crop of young people who have the potential to raise the athletics profile of the country. So, MAF had better look at ways to keep them happy or it stands to lose a few of them to other sports.

There is no need to pamper the athletes but give them the necessities.

I wonder if MAF assist athletes in securing running spikes through sponsorship or they have to fend for themselves.

Once an athlete makes a name for himself, he will have no problem in getting sponsors. But in the early days, when they are struggling with expenses, they should be given all the assistance they need.

Let’s give our young athletes the respect they deserve and, hopefully, they will reward the country with respectable performances.

TONY is a sports

journalist with more than
three decades of experience
and is passionate about
local sports.
He can be reached at
tmariadass@gmail.com

Twitter: @tmariadass​

Cheap publicity stunts

Commentary

High jumper Nauraj Singh Randhawa is the flavour of the month but it is sad to see how he is being manipulated by some to promote themselves, their products or their companies.

Ever since Nauraj qualified for the Rio Olympics after his winning effort of 2.29m in the Singapore Open, he has not only been bombarded with interview requests from the media but also sought by companies looking to ride his current popularity.

There is nothing wrong in wanting to back an Olympic qualifier but the manner in which everyone is queuing up to exploit him is appalling.

Companies and sports councils offering Nauraj a meagre RM2,000 and having the news highlighted in the press is certainly a cheap shot at marketing themselves.

Nauraj should vet such invitations so that he is not taken advantage of but being new to the publicity circus, and being the ‘nice guy’ he is, he is probably obliging all of them.

Maybe the Malaysian Athletic Federation (MAF) should take the lead in guiding the athlete and not jump on the bandwagon.

Genuine support for Nauraj is welcome but it should be a contribution for the long term and not a one-off pittance, like the ones he has received so far.

There were even efforts to get Nauraj to endorse equipment for a small payment but he was wise enough to decline.

It is sad that many want to be associated with a sportsman when he makes the headlines but steer clear when genuine cases require assistance, especially in grassroots development.

But then again, there are responsible corporations that emphasise sports development and come forward every time their help is sought even by the smallest club in the most remote of places, and they do it without any publicity. These are corporations that hold sports close to their heart and whose corporate social responsibilities are clearly defined.

If there are organisations or individuals who wish to back Nauraj, for starters, they could help his father, Amarjit Singh, go to Rio de Janeiro to watch his son compete.

Amarjit has not only been a source of inspiration for Nauraj but has also supported him fully with whatever means he had.

The 56-year-old is currently unemployed and maybe assisting him in finding employment would be an act of kindness.

After all, it is through the efforts of his parents, Amarjit and Manjit, that Nauraj has been able to do his nation proud. They were there to advise him when he contemplated quitting the sport after suffering a serious ankle injury, which required reconstruction of his ligaments, in 2011.

Many athletes have been exploited in the past when they were in their prime or were up-and-coming. But once their form declined or they had served their purpose, they were dumped by their supporters like a hot potato.

Just look at how many of our former sportsmen and women who brought honours to the nation have been forgotten. In their old age, many of them are struggling to make ends meet while some of them are unemployed.

When double international (cycling and walking) Rosli Abdul Kadir’s plight – he was eking out a living washing cars – was highlighted two years ago, how much of assistance was he given? Unfortunately, Rosli died in a motorcycle accident early this week. 

Even when some of these icons start grassroots programmes to give back to their sport, they get little or no support.

The National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) is in place but whether it is doing enough is debatable. It is pointless to make contributions after an athlete dies. 

Medical insurance is available but this was recently reduced from RM5,000 per year to RM2,500 and conditions were added under which repayment for medication will only be made if it is obtained from a hospital.

Many of our ex-athletes have expressed dissatisfaction at this state of affairs. Some do not even utilise the subsidy because they cannot purchase medicine from the pharmacies and medicine is expensive at the private hospitals. And at the general hospitals, the waiting time is just too long. Moreover, many of the athletes are old and some of them are immobile.

Giving a little bit of aid when a member is in hospital and having the news splashed all over the newspapers is certainly unnecessary when Yakeb's primary function is to look after the ex-athletes. More often than not, this kind of publicity is embarrassing to the athlete on the hospital bed and certainly cheap publicity for Yakeb.

Maybe, it is about time Yakeb working in collaboration with the National Sports Council should consider a pension scheme for ex-athletes?

Yakeb’s new chairman Datuk Malek Noor, a former national bodybuilder, probably can look into making this body more relevant.

When there is so much that can be done for our present and past athletes, it is sad that many pick and choose to whom and how much they want to contribute and in the process seek publicity at the expense of the athletes.

Let’s treat our athletes with respect and dignity.

TONY is a sports

journalist with more than
three decades of experience
and is passionate about
local sports.
He can be reached at
tmariadass@gmail.com

Twitter: @tmariadass​