ALOR STAR: Former Kedah Football Association (KFA) president Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid urges an end to the "blame game" regarding the salary arrears issue involving Kedah FC players.
Mahdzir, who is Kedah Umno liaison committee chairman, said resolving the salary issue was crucial despite KFA and Kedah FC being separate entities.
"So, let's refrain from playing the blame game. Let's not point fingers.
"Instead, let's take responsibility. Whoever is in charge should take responsibility. If it's a government leader, they should take responsibility," he told reporters after visiting the family of the late Kedah football legend Azraai Khor in Alor Semadom here yesterday.
Mahdzir said the state government should pay attention to the issue as it concerns the welfare of the players.
Meanwhile, former Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) executive committee member Datuk Othman Aziz said that the current football crisis should not solely be blamed on Kedah FC.
"Every state has a football association like Kedah has the KFA. KFA still exists, but Kedah FC was established to adapt to the current league situation," he added.
Othman stressed that KFA still had a responsibility to support Kedah FC and not ignore Kedah FC issues.
"Therefore, I say from the beginning, the recipe for victory and the secret to success is KFA providing solid support," he said.
Former KFA honorary secretary Asmirul Anuar Aris said that the state government should make every effort to revive football in Kedah.
Asmirul said they could use any platform to seek sponsorship to help Kedah FC.
"If we can't help much, at least we can provide some assistance to Kedah FC," he added.
It was reported that there was a salary arrears crisis involving Kedah FC with no solution in sight, and the situation had gone from bad to worse.
Kedah players alleged that they had not been paid for four months and that the club's officials were ignoring their plight.
On Feb 1, the club also announced the resignation of its chief executive officer, Khamal Idris Ali, ahead of the 2024-2025 M-League season.
Kedah FC majority shareholder Daud Bakar admitted that the club had been facing a cash flow problem since last October. But he assured that plans were in motion to pay the players.
