Selangor Sultan yet to grant audience with FAM president

PETALING JAYA: It is learnt that the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has yet to grant an audience to Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin.

According to a reliable source, Hamidin asked for a meeting and several FAM officials approached palace representatives but to no avail.

“We were made aware that several FAM officials, especially people from his office, tried to get through to the palace representative, but to date, their calls have not been answered,” said the source.

On Thursday (June 27), Hamidin said he was in touch with the Selangor Palace on Wednesday (June 26), adding that he had sent an official letter to meet Sultan Sharafuddin.

Hamidin’s request for an audience came after Sultan Sharafuddin’s strongly worded statement criticising the Malaysian Football League (MFL) for punishing Selangor for pulling out of the Charity Shield fixture against Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) initially scheduled for May 10.

Selangor had requested a postponement of the match after its player Faisal Halim suffered grievous injuries in an acid attack on May 5.

When MFL refused to grant the postponement, Selangor withdrew from the game for security reasons.

Sultan Sharafuddin said he believed the punishment of a RM100,000 fine, paying compensation to the home team and MFL for any losses incurred, a three-point deduction and playing a match without spectators was absurd and excessive considering that victory was given to the opposing team (JDT).

Apart from MFL, the Selangor Ruler also took FAM members and in particular Hamidin, who is FAM president, to task.

The Sultan also voiced his “shock and disappointment” at Hamidin for not speaking out, even though he was once Selangor FA’s secretary-general.

Late Thursday (June 27) evening, the MFL decided to reduce the RM100,000 fine to RM60,000.

However, compensation for losses incurred by JDT and MFL due to Selangor FC’s refusal to play the match is maintained.

Selangor’s three-point deduction for the 2024-2025 Super League season has also been cancelled, while the ban on spectators to the match against JDT at the Petaling Jaya City Council Stadium has also been lifted.