ALOR STAR: Kedah Football Association (KFA) has expressed its dismay on the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) decision over the tussle for national midfielder Gary Steven Robbat.
Its president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir in lamenting the decision said FAM had set a bad precedence by going against its own rules by denying KFA's claim on the player.
Following the Gary saga, Mukhriz, who is also Kedah Menteri Besar said KFA would insist FAM to sign a black and white agreement that any player from the state selected into the national team in future, would be released back to the state.
"From the start, we have made it clear that based on FAM own rules, any player which was selected to represent Harimau Muda squad should return to his respective state team or club before he could join another team.
"It was clearly stated in the team list that Gary belonged to Kedah, so we had a shock when FAM goes against its own rules," he told reporters after receiving a RM300,000 donation for floods victims in the state last year from Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) today.
The contribution was handed over by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom in his capacity as MAIWP president.
Earlier today, FAM had passed down a three months ban and RM50,000 fine punishment on Gary for signing contracts with two Super League teams.
FAM had also dismissed Kedah's claim on the player on the basis that Gary Steven's club was Young Tigers C, FAM's development team, where he is deemed to have begun his football career.
Mukhriz, however, stressed that Gary's talent was developed when he was studying at a school in Kulim and SMK Syed Mohamed Al Bukhary here.