Typical Malaysians...do we?

PERAK FA OWES FORMER COACH RM120,000

By D.Arul Rajoo Bernama

PHUKET, Dec 10 (Bernama) -- The Perak Football Association (PFA), which owes its Super League coaches and players almost RM500,000 in salaries, is in deep trouble with the prospect of being taken to the world football governing body, Fifa, by its former coach Steve Darby.
Darby, appointed as assistant to Thailand's new coach Peter Reid last October, has yet to be paid about RM120,000 by his former employer.
The Englishman, who took Perak to the fifth spot in the Super League and the semi-finals in the Malaysia Cup competition, met FAM secretary-general Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad, who is here to watch the ongoing AFF Suzuki Cup.
"Our Status Committee already asked the PFA to honour their contract with Darby. Since the matter has yet to be solved, we will send a letter to PFA president to ask him to help solve the problem amicably," Azzuddin said.
He said that if the PFA continued to delay the payment, they could land in hot soup as Darby had the right to lodge a report with Fifa and this could result in the world governing body taking disciplinary action, including suspending both the PFA and FAM.

But the problem is not confined to Perak alone as most of the so-called professional teams in the Super League are facing similar predicament.

Azzuddin said Sarawak had unpaid salaries dating back to the 2006 season while the very few teams which had no problem paying coaches and players on time were Selangor, Johor and Terengganu.
"For states which are struggling to pay their teams, we have deducted from our annual grants but even that is not enough as the yearly grant is about RM300,000, including for the President Cup," he said.
On the contract of national coach B. Sathianathan, Azzuddin said it was up to the National Team Management Committee to deliberate on and come out with a recommendation to the FAM Council.
"It's normal to have targets for the team and coach. In Sathianathan's case, he was given the target of reaching the AFF final. Let the committee discuss this first," he said.

AAJ Comments:-

- I used to be National Rowing Coach for SEA Games.
- In 2001, fulltime National Rowing Coach being paid RM750/month.
- 2003, 2005 part- time National Rowing Coach - 'Was declared that Malaysia does not have own rowing coach, while he had spent every morning to train rowers with own cost.'
- 2007, coaches spent a year without being paid to train the SEA Games rowers.
- Who cares? Passion towards the sports has keep the Malaysian rowing coaches survives.
- Credits will only given to the other party in the association.

AAJ