KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 — Great news for local football fans as Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican has confirmed that spectators will be allowed to watch Malaysia League (M-League) matches at stadiums starting April 6.
This is after Reezal Merican went to watch the pilot project match for spectator admission to the stadiums, between Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) and Melaka United FC, at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri, on Friday, according to a statement issued by the Malaysian Football League (MFL) yesterday.
It said that the monitoring and compliance with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium has convinced the National Security Council (NSC) to give the green light to the MFL in allowing the re-entry of spectators.
“Thus far, what I can say is that there are no restrictions for spectators to enter (stadiums) for other matches because, based on observations by the NSC, they are satisfied overall.
“I have actually received the approval but if there are other observations by the NSC, perhaps another decision will be made. However, for now, I can say there is no problem,” Reezal Merican was quoted as saying in the statement.
On Friday, 2,000 football fans were allowed to enter the stadium starting at 6pm, before the doors closed at 8.30pm. They watched the match by practising physical distancing throughout.
Based on the SOPs for the CMCO areas, the spectator capacity in stadiums is 10 per cent with a maximum of 2,000 people, while for stadiums in areas placed under the recovery MCO (RMCO) it is 25 per cent with a maximum of 8,000 people, with strict supervision at all times.
Meanwhile, MFL chief executive officer Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan, who welcomed the positive development, also hoped that the management of other teams would be ready to accept spectators at their respective venues.
“The positive development shown here will hopefully be the beginning, to be followed in other venues in the seventh match of the Super League.
“Through the gazetting (of the pilot project) which allows supporters to enter stadiums from April 1, MFL is fully prepared, and will hold a meeting in the near future with all teams to discuss this matter,” he added.
All Super League and Premier League matches are still subject to MFL approval, where each team must submit a document on spectator entry permission first, the statement read.
— Bernama
