Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysia Minister of Sports has called for the management of the country's football clubs by parties with real financial and managerial skills to stimulate investments in the National League and safeguard the well-being of the players, the media reported on Tuesday, May 6.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Hannah Yeoh, said that the failure of certain national clubs to manage fundamental responsibilities, such as paying wages, has probably undermined efforts to attract and maintain sponsors to support the development of Malaysia football, reported the Bernama press agency.
“Football has a large audience, which is why I believe that to convince the sponsors, all they want to see is how a club is directed, how it pays wages or take care of the well-being of the players,” said Yeoh.
“I urge that those who are not able do not touch it, that others take over. Sometimes there are those who cannot manage but always want to keep power, preventing others from intervening.”
Malaysian football has undergone financial difficulties in recent years, which has led to penalty, relegate or withdraw from the league. The association of professional footballers in Malaysia said that many professional clubs have trouble paying wages in time.
Last month, Yeoh urged the Malaysian football authorities to undertake an overhaul of the sport ecosystem and stressed that comprehensive solutions rather than fragmentary fixes were necessary to solve problems.
Yeoh said the director of the Malaysian football league must take discussions with stakeholders to ensure a more structured and sustainable league in the future.
