KANGAR: As many as 18 players who turned out for Perlis in the FAM League last season are demanding for an explanation from the Perlis FA (PFA) regarding the status of the remainder of their salary arrears owed to them which is said to be more than RM400,000 for last year which is yet to be paid.
In fact, their status as Perlis Northern Lions 2 (PNL 2) players has also come into question because they have not attended training conducted by Hamizar Hamzah for almost two weeks, with the squad now based in Kuala Lumpur.
The representative of the 18 players, Fahmi Izzarin Mustafa, 24, said that they could not take part in training held in Kuala Lumpur because of financial difficulties, as they have not received any form of payment for their salary arrears and even their salaries for this season from PFA.
"According to the contracts signed by us, our first paycheck was supposed to be received together with payment of our salary arrears for last season sometime between December 27 and January 7.
"However we have not received any payment whatsoever during that period and we were told to report in for centralised training in Kuala Lumpur on January 2 by using our own funds, which includes accommodation as well.
"We just cannot afford such an expenditure because we are in financial difficulty. Based on information obtained from PFA’s official Facebook page, PNL 2 are now supposedly made up of an entirely different line-up of players.
“So then how about the 18 of us who signed playing contracts last year?” Said Fahmi when met in Kangar, Perlis yesterday (Monday).
The grouses of the group of 18 players was also voiced out by PNL 2 captain, Ezzrul Ikmanizar Abd Rahman, 30, claiming that PFA are seemingly trying not to fulfil the agreement of the contracts that were signed.
"The team’s management seem as though they do not want to pay up the salary arrears owed to us by giving all sorts of excuses, which includes stalling among themselves even.
"There are those among us who have had to resort to becoming fisherman and work odd jobs in our respective villages just to earn a living, and what really worries us is that the team management do not seem to want to face us whenever we bring up the salary arrears issue via whatsapp,” he said.
Ezzrul Ikmanizar said that they do not wish to jeopardise nor taint the credibility of PFA’s new management, though at the same time their rights as players with valid contracts must be respected.
"We refuse to be given the run around anymore, as there are those among us who are backdated and have defaulted in monthly payments for various financial responsibilities for up to five months, and being in such dire straits, we really hope that PFA’s management hear us out and also help us by paying us what we’re owed,” he said.
PFA are now led by a new president in Datuk Ahmad Amizal Shaifit Ahmad Rafie, and for the coming new season they seem to have a sizeable budget after roping in some top local players, such as Safee Sali, Badhri Radzi, Khyril Muhymeen Zambri, Azmi Muslim, Azmizi Azmi and Amirizdwan Taj who have been recruited for to bolster the squad for their Premier League campaign.
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