THE call for teams and players to compromise in a move to mitigate the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has become stronger after Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) players and officials agreed to take a 33 per cent pay cut on Sunday.
JDT players and officials will also donate a portion of their salaries to the Johor Disaster Fund.
FA of Malaysia (FAM) now hope that other M-League teams will follow suit by first holding discussions.
The M-League has been suspended until April 30 but the postponement is expected to be extended until the Covid-19 is eradicated.
But many teams are already struggling as they claim that money is not coming in due to the suspension of the league.
“The compromise shown by JDT players and officials should be commended.
“Sacrifices need to be made to ease the burden of clubs following the suspension of the M-League, aside from helping those affected by the pandemic,” said FAM secretary-general Stuart Ramalingam.
“With this, FAM hope other clubs and their players will hold open discussions and come up with solutions.
“Credit to JDT as it shows the good management of the club in handling a problem.”
Malaysian Football League (MFL) chief executive officer Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan said: “JDT held an open discussion with their players, coaches and staff, and all agreed to reduce salaries.”