KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 — The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and Malaysian Football League (MFL) are ready to resume the Malaysia League (M-League) once the movement control order (MCO) is lifted.
FAM secretary-general Stuart Ramalingam said the national governing body and MFL already had a thorough plan in place for all tournaments under FAM, including the Youth Cup and President’s Cup, which have been suspended since March 16.
He said FAM and MFL would also implement new standard operating procedures (SOP) that all teams must comply with, including making it compulsory for players and officials to undergo Covid-19 screenings in a bid to reduce the risk of being infected by the virus.
“We have been in touch with all our affiliates, they know that we are ready and they know we have options. Everything is ready but, just like most other countries and leagues in the world, they can’t say for certain when it (competitions) will resume, they only can tell you when they wish to start.
“We are ready in terms of scheduling and SOP on what needs to be done,” he told Bernama today.
“Based on discussions, we have also prepared the league schedule should it resume in June, July or even August. But for details, it’s better for MFL to comment,” he said.
FAM and MFL decided to postpone all M-League matches and football activities in the country effective March 16 following the global Covid-19 pandemic. Teams were also not allowed to hold any training sessions or friendly matches during the MCO period.
Meanwhile, Stuart said FAM would not take a hasty approach in finalising any decisions, especially when it involved issues regarding the nation’s safety and security.
“We understand this is not the right time to talk to the ministry (Youth and Sports Ministry) about football as, at the moment, they have a national issue to deal with (Covid-19). So, when the time comes for us to discuss, we will have that and I’m sure they will be more informed then to tell us what is the right SOP,” explained Stuart.
— Bernama
