KUCHING: Sarawak Football Association (FAS) has been urged to take immediate action against players found to be involved in gambling and match-fixing activities.
Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said he was shocked by the recent corruption case, which involved two state football players.
“If anyone (players) are found to have connections with bookies, FAS must not hesitate to sack them from the team,” he said.
"It is true that a person is innocent until proven guilty in court and very strong evidence is needed for such cases.
"However, if FAS can find any connection between the players and bookies, it is better for them to just remove the person from the team,” he told the reporters after the launch of the Sarawak Arts Congress 2018 today.
It was reported that the two players, aged 28 and 30, as well as a 34-year-old man believed to be the ‘bookie’, were nabbed on Feb 14.
This came after after FAS suspected the Feb 10 match between Sarawak and Felcra United was fixed.
To the rest of the state players, Abdul Karim said: “Don’t let such issue to affect your mind. Continue to focus on the training and wining the next match.