As FAM changes tune to placate Zamsaham, Kelantan tell MFL to show them the money

After Kelantan FC owner Norizam Tukiman hit back at last week’s news that his club may face Malaysian FA’s (FAM) sanctions for failing to settle unpaid wages that had been incurred before his ownership, the association has now attempted to calm things down.

Over the last weekend, businessman Norizam who is also more-popularly known as Zamsaham, went on social media tirades against FAM and Malaysian competitions organiser Malaysian Football League (MFL). Feeling unjustly targeted by recent developments concerning the club he spent RM6.8 million purchasing, he questioned FAM’s success and accused MFL of failing to pay his club’s share of the profits. Both entities are led by the same person; Datuk Hamidin Amin.

ALSO READ: Kelantan FC owner Zamsaham on the warpath

On Sunday evening, Malaysia’s football governing body provided an interview with its deputy president Datuk Wira Yusoff Mahadi to the press, in which he stresses the need to work together with those who have invested in club football in the country, such as Norizam.

“There are not many people who want to invest huge sums of their own money like Zamsaham. The Malaysian footballing fraternity must welcome figures like him in order to help the country’s football industry.

“We must discuss this matter cordially, and I have been mandated with the task of welcoming Norizam to the discussion table with Stuart (FAM secretary-general Stuart Ramalingam) and Dato’ Ghani (MFL CEO Dato’ Ab Ghani Hassan) soon.

Stuart Ramalingam. Photo by Zulhilmi Zainal

“I want FAM and MFL to hash the issue out so that everyone comes out of the discussion satisfied,” said Yusoff. 

But just hours later, the Malaysia Premier League club posted on its Facebook account demand letters they have sent through lawyers to MFL, for payments Norizam had earlier claimed are owed by the organisation to the Red Warriors. The most recent letter is dated 15 January 2021

The payments are purportedly for referee fees of three league matches, as well as for the broadcast of Kelantan matches on the Mycujoo website, although the exact figures have been blurred before the letters were posted.