KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia Football League's (MFL) punitive action against Selangor for pulling out of the Charity Shield match is understandable, but it seems to be excessive.
This was stated by football observer Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli who believes that MFL's intention is to teach Selangor a lesson after their withdrawal caused the cancellation of the Charity Shield match.
Pekan said Selangor now face a "compounded" misfortune due to the punishment, considering the reason that led to their withdraw from the season opener in May.
Selangor cited "a series of criminal incidents and recent threats" on May 8 after their appeal to MFL to postpone the Charity Shield game was not accepted.
This came after a horrifying acid attack on Selangor star Faisal Halim on May 5. Faisal suffered third-degree burns and underwent four surgeries.
"The punishment is necessary because if Selangor are let off, it would be unfair if other teams do the same. This can serve as a lesson to all teams and to Selangor not to repeat the same action," said Pekan today.
"But if we look at it, the punishment is quite severe, especially since Selangor didn't withdraw on a whim... they had strong and relevant reasons at the time. If they had continued, it might have caused other issues.
"The withdrawal was also endorsed by the Selangor ruler, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah. Perhaps he had specific reasons for endorsing the action, and it was made based on careful consideration.
"The punishment shouldn't be this heavy, so I hope Selangor are given the opportunity to appeal."
MFL took action against Selangor yesterday for their "no-show" in the Charity Shield match against Johor Darul Ta'zim at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on May 10.
Apart from the RM100,000 fine, Selangor were also slapped with a three-point deduction in the Super League and have to play their home match against JDT at the MBPJ Stadium in November behind closed doors.
