KUALA LUMPUR – The Amateur Football League (AFL) has made it clear that they will not hesitate to ban tournament organisers sanctioned by the governing body if they fail to adhere to their protocols.
The governing body’s response came following a series of violent brawls involving community clubs and leagues across the country last year.
Speaking to Scoop, AFL chairman Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi, who is also the deputy president of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), said that his committee will not give room for a hooliganism culture to be normalised in community football.
“What happened (brawls) last year in most of the leagues and tournaments sanctioned by AFL is something really disappointing. We will ensure that it doesn’t happen this year.
“If those kinds of violent incidents happen again this year, we will not think twice about taking stern action against everyone involved by banning the clubs, and leagues, and also not sanctioning the organisers.
“Football is a peaceful sport, and the clubs and players that play in the tournaments sanctioned by us should lead by example instead of involving in violent acts.
“Even in violent sports such as muay thai, opponents hug each other after a violent fight. But in our country, we tend to get over-emotional when we play football, especially at the community level for simple reasons.
“We are going to be strict this year, and we will not allow hooliganism to take place in the sport,” said Yusoff when contacted.
Violent incidents often marred community league competitions throughout last season.
Fights not only involved players or attacks on referees but spectators on the side of the field were also reported to be fighting due to dissatisfaction with the referee or provocation by opposing supporters.
In several cases, victims were severely beaten to the point of injury and subsequently referred to the police.
It was reported that the Terengganu Football League conducted a comprehensive investigation into a fight between NAG FC and KESA FC in the M5 League that resulted in individuals being seriously injured in January at the Terengganu State Sports Complex in Gong Badak.
The police investigation was conducted according to Section 146 of the Penal Code for rioting.
Founded in 2018, the M5 League is a group of leagues consisting of various state FA, community, and social leagues, which are part of AFL’s plan to reform the Malaysian football league structure.
AFL is an organisation sanctioned by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to govern amateur-level football, and it currently governs up to 15 tournaments across the country. – April 7, 2024
