Soldiering on: KL’s S. Sharvin heading the ball away during their Super League match against Selangor on July 14. The City Boys still won 1-0 despite their off-field problems. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur look set to be the third club to be booted out of the Malaysian League due to financial debts.
Questions have been raised on Kuala Lumpur City’s eligibility to compete in the Super League after discovering the club’s financial debts have gone further than just salary arrears.
Kuala Lumpur Football Association (KLFA) vice president Syed Yazid Syed Omar wants answers from the Malaysian Football League’s First Instance Body (FIB) as to how the club were granted their licence to compete given the huge salary arrears and their failure to make Employees Provident Fund (EPF) payments since February 2023.
“We know that the club have financial challenges and lacked stability, so it would be hard to compete in the Super League with debts,” said Yazid.
“So I don’t know how the FIB had granted Kuala Lumpur their licence to compete in the Super League this season,” he said during a press conference at the Cheras Football Stadium yesterday.
Yazid, who is also the director of KL United FC Sdn Bhd, which manage the club, had discovered that Kuala Lumpur not only owed huge amounts in salary arrears, but EPF payments amounting to RM719,000.
“I was shocked to find out the amount, and that has not been paid since February last year,” he said.
KLFA vice president Syed Yazid Syed Omar. — Bernama
“I want to see what documentations were submitted to the FIB and ask for an explanation. I’m wondering how the licence was granted to KL.’’
Yazid added that there haven’t been any players who have raised questions on the delayed EPF payments, as no complaints were made to the Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia (PFAM).
“These types of issues need to be clear and transparent. I’m not sure why the players have not spoken up about this issue,” he said.
If Kuala Lumpur fail to resolve the issue, they could be out of the league.
Before the 2024-2025 Super League season, Kelantan were booted out from the top flight by the FIB following issues related to unpaid wages, while Perlis United had their “extraordinary licence” revoked after failing to meet requirements set by the FIB.
Meanwhile, the FIB have responded with a statement stating that they had issued the licence to Kuala Lumpur for the 2024-2025 Super League season after reviewing all the compulsory documentations.
FIB chairman Sheikh Mohd Nasir Sheikh Mohd Sharif said the body had received a declaration letter from EPF sent by Kuala Lumpur dated Aug 28, 2023, stating that there were no outstanding payments as of June 30, 2023, along with an attached letter.
“The FIB also received a declaration letter from EPF from the club dated March 29, 2024, stating that there were no outstanding payments as of Dece 31, 2023, along with an attached letter.
“Clearly, the FIB committee had issued the licence to Kuala Lumpur based on the payment declaration letter issued by EPF,” he said.
However, with the discrepancies in information stated by the club’s management regarding the authenticity of documents submitted in the process of obtaining their licence, the FIB will start an investigation into the matter immediately.
