KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has urged the country’s soccer authorities to undertake a sweeping overhaul of the sport’s ecosystem, emphasising comprehensive solutions rather than piecemeal fixes are required to address any problems.
“The issues in our football scene require more than just reactive measures. It’s time we look at the bigger picture and work together to rebuild a healthier and more sustainable football environment,” she told local media on Wednesday.
Yeoh did not specify what issues she was referring to, but Malaysian soccer has suffered financial hardships in recent years, leading to some clubs being penalised, relegated or withdrawing from the league.
The Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia (PFAM) says many professional clubs struggle to pay salaries on time.
The minister said she had asked the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) to perform an assessment of Malaysian football.
“They have given me a report and we will discuss it with FAM (Football Association of Malaysia). We can’t look at one case only,” she was reported as saying by Malaysia’s Star newspaper.
“We have to see it holistically. In our future meeting, we will discuss with FAM on how to improve the current ecosystem. Not just at the national level but we want to see improvements in these clubs.”
AFC General Secretary Windsor John confirmed the continental body had conducted a preliminary assessment of the football ecosystem in Malaysia and shared their findings with relevant stakeholders, including FAM.
“The AFC reiterates that the responsibility for ensuring timely and contractual payment of wages rests primarily with clubs and member associations,” John told Reuters.
“However, we are committed to working in partnership with FAM, the Ministry, and other stakeholders to strengthen governance, improve financial management at club level, and implement systems that ensure transparency and accountability.
“We commend the professionalism of the affected players and coaches, and we urge all parties involved to act with urgency and in good faith to resolve outstanding matters.”
FAM did not immediately respond to Reuters calls seeking comments.
(Reporting by Ossian Shine, additional reporting by Michael Church; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
