The story thus far

FAM PRESS RELEASE

ISSUE ON HARIMAU MUDA IN SLOVAKIA

INTRODUCTION

• IN THE WAKE OF SEVERE CRITICISM AIMED AT THE FA OF MALAYSIA
PERTAINING TO THE SLOVAKIAN STINT FOR THE HARIMAU MUDA A TEAM,
THE SECRETARIAT IS COMPELLED TO CLARIFY A FEW ISSUES RAISED BY THE
MEDIA.

• THOUGH THE SECRETARIAT WISHES TO REFRAIN FROM QUESTIONING THE
MOTIVES OF CERTAIN QUARTERS IN HIGHLIGHTING THE ISSUE, THERE IS A
NEED TO CLEAR THE AIR ARISING FROM ONE MEDIA REPORT THAT WAS
PUBLISHED ABOUT A WEEK AGO, CASTING ASPERSIONS OVER THE POSITION
OF THE HARIMAU MUDA TEAM IN SLOVAKIA.

• IT NEEDS TO BE REITERATED THE OBJECTIVE OF SENDING THE HARIMAU
MUDA TEAM TO SLOVAKIA IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEVELOPMENT OF OUR
NATIONAL TEAM IN PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT SEA GAMES IN 2011,
WHICH IS TO DEFEND THE GOLD MEDAL. IT IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF
EXPOSURE TO HIGH LEVEL GAMES AND EXPERIENCE FOR THE YOUNG
TIGERS.

• IT WAS FAM’S COLLECTIVE DECISION TO SEND THE TEAM TO SLOVAKIA AND
NOT AN INDIVIDUAL DECISION.

• FAM DID NOT GO ON A FUND‐RAISING CAMPAIGN NOR MADE ANY REQUEST
TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR FUNDING TO SEND THE TEAM. ALL COST IS
BORNE BY HRH THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF. THUS, THERE IS NO PUBLIC FUND
INVOLVED AND IT IS SOLELY AN FAM INITIATIVE. BELOW IS THE

2. CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS LEADING TO THE STINT IN SLOVAKIA FOR MOHD
AZRAAI KHOR ABDULLAH AND HIS TEAM.
BACKGROUND

• AFTER HARIMAU MUDA BECAME THE PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS IN
2009, THE FAM TECHNICAL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED TO THE FAM
COMPETITIONS COMMITTEE TO PROMOTE/INCLUDE THE TEAM IN THE
SUPER LEAGUE 2010.

• THE COMPETITION COMMITTEE ENDORSED THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE’S
RECOMMENDATION AND HARIMAU MUDA WAS INCLUDED AS ONE OF THE
SUPER LEAGUE TEAMS FOR 2010 SEASON.

• UNFORTUNATELY, THE FAM COUNCIL ON 7 DECEMBER 2009 OPPOSED THE
IDEA.

• HARIMAU MUDA TEAM WAS THUS LEFT IN A LURCH WITHOUT ANY
COMPETITION TO PARTICIPATE IN. AS THIS TEAM, BEING AN UNDER‐21
TEAM, HAD BEEN EARMARKED FOR THE SEA GAMES IN 2011, THE FAM
SECRETARIAT THEN WAS TASKED TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY FOR THE
TEAM TO PARTICIPATE IN OTHER LEAGUES WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE
REGION.

• FAM APPROACHED FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE (FAS) AS WELL
AS THE SLOVAK FA. FAS WAS WILLING TO ACCEPT THE TEAM BUT DUE TO
TIME CONTRAINTS, WE WERE UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE “S” LEAGUE.
FORTUNATELY THE SLOVAK FA WAS ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE FAM.

SLOVAK FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
• ON 26TH JANUARY 2010, FAM RECEIVED AN OFFICIAL LETTER FROM SLOVAK
FA STATING THAT THEY HAVE NO OBJECTION, PROVIDED IT IS ACCEPTED BY
THE UNION OF LEAGUE CLUBS, THE BODY THAT MANAGES THE SLOVAK
FOOTBALL LEAGUE.


• SUBSEQUENTLY, ON 27TH JANUARY 2010, THE UNION OF LEAGUE CLUB OF
SLOVAKIA WROTE TO FAM SAYING THAT THEY HAVE NO OBJECTIONS,
PROVIDED FAM IS AGREEABLE TO THEIR TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
FAM FINANCE COMMITTEE AND EXCO

• UPON GETTING THIS LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE, THE FAM DEPUTY PRESIDENT,
WHO IS ALSO THE TECHNICAL CHAIRMAN AND THE GENERAL SECRETARY,
HAD AN AUDIENCE WITH HRH THE PRESIDENT TO OBTAIN HRH’S BLESSINGS.

• UPON GETTING HRH THE PRESIDENT’S CONSENT, THE MATTER WAS TABLED
AT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND EXCO ON 31 JANUARY 2010. BOTH THE
FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE EXCO APPROVED THE PARTICIPATION OF
HARIMAU MUDA IN THE SLOVAK LEAGUE.

• THE GENERAL SECRETARY WAS THEN SENT TO WORK OUT THE DETAILS WITH
THE SLOVAK FA AND THE UNION OF LEAGUE CLUBS IN THE FIRST WEEK OF
FEBRUARY 2010.

• THE DECISION TO SEND THE TEAM TO SLOVAKIA WAS NOT A ONE MAN’S
DECISION. IT WAS APPROVED BY HRH THE PRESIDENT AND SUBSEQUENTLY
ENDORSED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE EXCO.

GENERAL SECRETARY’S VISIT TO SLOVAKIA
• HAD A MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT OF SLOVAK FA AND THE PRESIDENT
OF UNION OF LEAGUE CLUBS PRESIDENTS.

• BOTH THE PRESIDENTS WELCOMED THE PARTICIPATION OF THE MALAYSIAN
U21 TEAM AS THIS IS SOMETHING NEW TO THEM AND THEY EXPECT TO
CREATE INTEREST AMONG THEIR LEAGUE TEAMS AND SUPPORTERS.

• AT THAT POINT OF TIME IT WAS MADE KNOWN TO THE GENERAL SECRETARY
THAT THE MALAYSIAN TEAM WILL PLAY ACCORDING TO THE LEAGUE
SCHEDULE.

• IT WAS ALSO MENTIONED THAT POINTS WILL BE AWARDED TO THEIR TEAM
FOR A WIN AND A DRAW BUT NOT TO THE MALAYSIAN TEAM.

• FAM HAS TO FULFILL THE LEAGUE FEES LIKE ANY OTHER SLOVAK TEAM AND
BEAR THE COST FOR GAME ORGANISATION SUCH AS STADIUM RENTAL, FEES
FOR THE ADMINISTRATORS, MATCH OFFICIALS, BALL BOYS, MEAL FOR THE
OFFICIALS AND VISITING TEAM ETC.

• THE ABOVE POINTS WERE CONVEYED TO THE MEMBERS OF THE MALAYSIAN
MEDIA DURING THE PC HELD ON 19TH FEBRUARY 2010.

CONCLUSION
• THERE IS NOTHING TO LIE OR HIDE TO THE MEDIA ON THIS ISSUE.

• THE TEAM GET TO PLAY 14 HIGH QUALITY MATCHES WITH 14 SLOVAK DIV
ONE LEAGUE CLUBS AND NUMEROUS FRIENDLY MATCHES IN BETWEEN THE
LEAGUE SCHEDULE, ON AN AVERAGE 0F ONE MATCH PER WEEK.

• OVER AND ABOVE THAT, 4 FRIENDLY INTERNATIONAL MATCHES WITH
POLAND, AUSTRIA, CZECH REPUBLIC AND HUNGARY UNDER 21 TEAMS HAVE
BEEN ARRANGED.

• THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF YOUTH AND SPORTS, YB DATO’ RAZALI IBRAHIM
AND DATO’ ZOLKPLES EMBONG, DIRECTOR‐GENERAL OF NATIONAL SPORTS
COUNCIL (NSC), WHO WERE THERE ON 6TH MARCH 2010 TO WITNESS THE
2ND GAME THE HARIMAU MUDA PLAYED, CAN TESTIFY ON THE STANDARD OF
THE MATCH THAT WAS PLAYED.

• ONE OF THE TOP TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE HAS OFFERED PLACES TO TWO OR
THREE PLAYERS TO BE ATTACHED TO THEIR CLUB.

• UNION OF LEAGUE CLUBS HAS OFFERED FAM TO PARTICIPATE IN FULL
SEASON OF THE LEAGUE, FROM AUGUST TO NOVEMBER AND FEBRUARY TO
MAY 2011. WE HAVE NOT MADE ANY DECISION ON THIS OFFER.

• CREATING CONTROVERSIES OVER NOTHING WOULD CREATE A BAD IMAGE
FOR FAM AND MAY AFFECT THE MORALE TO THE TEAM.

• WE SHOULD SUPPORT OUR BOYS THERE BY GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT FOR
THE BETTERMENT OF THE NATIONAL IN THE NEAR FUTURE RATHER THAN
PICKING UP PETTY ISSUES OVER NOTHING.

• IF THE LEAGUE MATCH IS NOT SERIOUSLY VIEWED AND GIVEN EMPHASIS,
THEN THEY WILL NOT BE PLAYING ON A SNOW FILLED FIELD AS ILLUSTRATED
IN ONE OF THE MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPERS ON MARCH 15.

• THE START LIST OF THE OPPOSING TEAM LISTED ALL THE CLUBS REGISTERED
PLAYERS.

• ON THE QUESTION OF CHEFS FROM MSN BEING SENT TO SLOVAKIA, IT IS
BASED ON RELIGIOUS AND DIETARY REASONS. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME
CHEFS WERE ASSIGNED TO SUPPORT A NATIONAL TEAM ABROAD.

TO QUOTE A FEW CASES; THE LAST SEA GAMES IN VIENTIANNE, NATIONAL HOCKEY
TEAM IN NEW ZEALAND ETC. ABOVE ALL THE CHEFS ARE THERE TO PREPARE
FOOD ACCORDING TO THE PLAYER’S DIETARY AND RELIGIOUS
REQUIREMENTS, NOT TO SERVE MALAYSIAN DISHES ON A DAILY BASIS.

THE HOTEL WHERE THE TEAM IS STAYING DOES SERVE HALAL FOOD AND THERE
ARE NO HALAL RESTUARANTS IN THE VICINITY OF VION FOOTBALL CENTRE.

• WITH THIS PRESS RELEASE FAM HOPES THE ISSUE IS PUT TO REST.

16 March 2010
Football Association of Malaysia
WISMA FAM