ALOR SETAR: Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has wryly suggested that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) take over the management of the Kedah Darul Aman (KDA FC) football club and pay the players' salaries.
Sanusi, who is also Kedah Football Association (KFA) president, said that this is because the commission's probe into the association has driven potential sponsors away from the club.
He said the general public do not understand the difference between the KFA and KDA FC.
"They only know that it is a football team. When arrests are made and there are accusations of corruption when there are actually none, this leads to KDA FC sponsors running away.
"So I suggest that the MACC take over the KDA FC team because they are very smart in running a football team, and pay the salaries," he said during a press conference at Wisma Darul Aman here today.
Sanusi said that since its establishment in 1924, the Kedah football team has depended on sponsorship to pay the players' wages.
He said the situation has now changed, and the team many not even be able to compete in the Super League next season.
"I know that once upon a time, when there was no money, trees had to be cut down in order to raise the funds for the team.
"But now with disruption and interference, as if to paint a bad picture, it is the football team that suffers," he said.
He said when he took over four years ago, the situation was good.
"We were able to settle our debts, pay the wages. Once this happens, everything has been turned upside down until we can't even pay salaries," he said.
Sanusi said that he can no longer intervene in KDA FC matters because it is now a private team owned by an individual, as well as run and managed by a company.
He said he was told that the team owner, Tan Sri Mohd Daud Bakar, is working on resolving the issues and salaries owed to the players and management.
"When the team was under KFA I had already stressed that state government funds will not be used to pay the players' salaries because that is public funds, the people's money.
"When it has already been privatised it is the responsibility of the company to pay the salaries," he said.
