KUALA LUMPUR: The FA of Penang (FAP) will face tough punishment after the Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia (PFAM) confirmed that they have already submitted an affidavit to the FA of Malaysia’s (FAM) Status Committee with regards to the issue of salary arrears owed to Penang players.
PFAM president, Rezal Zambery Yahya said that they received complaints submitted by Penang’s players’ who have not received their salaries for the past five months.
"After we received the players’ complaints, we sent an affidavit to FAM’s Status Committee for action to be taken.
"We informed FAM of the issue because of FAP’s failure to pay their players’, furthermore after the 30 day period to settle the salary arrears had passed.
"Now we are awaiting for the date when the Status Committee will convene to make a decision on the matter. This is the normal procedure and I sincerely hope that the players’ can be patient for just a little while longer for the outcome,” said Rezal when contacted here earlier today.
According to an NSTP Sport report published yesterday (Friday), it is claimed that FAP failed to settle the players’ salary arrears of five months which is said to be around RM1 million.
Throughout this time, a few Penang players’ are said to have fallen on hard times, such as being evicted from homes that they were renting for failure to pay rent, apart from being chased by banks for failure to pay their car installments as well.
"We understand that FAP’s management are new and were only appointed earlier this season, however PFAM will still press on with efforts to amicably resolve the issue of salary arrears as soon as possible,” stressed Rezal.
Speaking further on the punishment that awaits FAP if they do not pay up, Rezal explained that PFAM will have no qualms in taking the matter up with FAM’s Disciplinary Committee for further action.
“FAM has the necessary processes and procedures in place and if FAP continue to do nothing even after the Status Committee has come to a decision, then we will not hesitate in taking this matter up with the Disciplinary Committee, and at such a level the punishment will be tough, such as points deduction, a ban on engaging foreign imports and even relegation,” Rezal pointed out.