2018-07-31
Persatuan Bolasepak Malaysia (FAM) hari ini telah menghantar surat bantahan kepada Persekutuan Bolasepak ASEAN (AFF) dan Konfederasi Bolasepak Asia (AFC) berhubung tindakan melampau penyokong tuan rumah, Indonesia menghina nama negara Malaysia dengan menyanyikan chant berbunyi "Malaysia itu anjing" pada perlawanan sulung skuad B-16 kebangsaan kendalian Raja Azlan Shah Raja So'ib untuk Kejuaraan B-16 AFF 2018 bertemu Thailand di Surabaya, Indonesia, malam tadi.
Saya sependapat dengan Tunku Mahkota Johor, DYAM Mejar Jeneral Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim yang merupakan mantan Presiden FAM apabila baginda turut berasakan apa yang dilakukan penyokong Indonesia itu cukup melampau kerana ia satu penghinaan besar terhadap nama negara kita Malaysia, menerusi satu kenyataan dikeluarkan baginda di page JOHOR Southern Tigers, lewat malam tadi.
Justeru tindakan menghantar surat bantahan kepada AFF dan AFC ini kita lakukan dengan segera supaya dua pihak berkenaan dapat mengambil tindakan sewajarnya agar perkara sama tidak berulang apabila skuad B-16 turun pada perlawanan kedua Kumpulan B di stadium sama bertemu Brunei, Jumaat ini.
Bagi memastikan kawalan keselamatan terhadap skuad B-16 kebangsaan lebih terjamin, FAM juga telah bertindak untuk menghantar Exco FAM, ACP Md Dali Wahid yang merupakan seorang pegawai tinggi PDRM ke Surabaya, esok bagi membuat penilaian terhadap langkah-langkah keselamatan yang dilakukan oleh pihak tuan rumah dan penganjur.
Jika didapati tuan rumah dan penganjur sekadar mengambil ringan berhubung isu ini, FAM tidak teragak-agak untuk mengambil tindakan yang lebih drastik selepas ini.
Bagaimanapun, saya berharap pihak AFF dan AFC akan bertegas dalam hal ini kerana jika diimbas semula, Malaysia selaku tuan rumah Sukan SEA Kuala Lumpur 2017 telah didenda AFC sebanyak AS$30,000 (RM121,702) kerana tindakan penyokong kita menyanyikan chant menghina Brunei dan Singapura ketika perlawanan acara bola sepak lelaki. Tindakan dan denda sewajarnya juga sepatutnya perlu dikenakan terhadap penyokong Indonesia.
Stuart Ramalingam
Setiausaha Agung Persatuan Bolasepak Malaysia (FAM)
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FAM SENT LETTER OF PROTEST TO AFF & AFC REGARDING THE EXTREME ACTIONS BY INDONESIAN FANS IN SHAMING THE NAME OF MALAYSIA
Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has today sent a letter of protest to the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in regards to the extreme actions by supporters of the host nation, Indonesia in shaming the name of Malaysia by chanting “Malaysia itu anjing” during Raja Azlan Shah Raja So’ib’s U-16 squad’s first match of the 2018 AFF U-16 Championship against Thailand in Surabaya, Indonesia last night.
I agree with the Crown Prince of Johor, HRH Major General Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, former FAM President when he stated in a post on the JOHOR Southern Tigers page late last night that the actions of the Indonesian fans were extremely overboard as it was a big insult to the name of Malaysia.
Hence the action of sending in the letter of protest to AFF and AFC was swiftly undertaken so that both parties concerned can take the necessary actions in making sure the same thing will not happen during the U-16 squad’s next Group B match against Brunei in the same stadium this Friday.
In making sure that the level of safety for the U-16 squad is assured, FAM has decided to send FAM Exco, ACP Md Dali Wahid who is a high ranking official in the PDRM, to Surabaya tomorrow to evaluate the safety measures implemented by the host nation and organisers.
If it is found that the host nation and organisers are taking this issue lightly, FAM will not hesitate to take more drastic actions in the future.
However, I do hope AFF and AFC will be strict in this case because previously when Malaysia hosted the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games, we were fined US$30,000 (RM121,702) as consequences of some of our fans singing defamatory chants towards Brunei and Singapore during the men’s football event. The appropriate action and punishment should taken against the Indonesian fans.
Stuart Ramalingam
General Secretary of the Football Association of Malaysia