Jalur Gemilang Inverted: FAM Sends Official Protest To AFF, AFC

SHAH ALAM, July 26 (Bernama) -- The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has sent an official protest following the actions of Indonesian football fans who waved the Jalur Gemilang upside down during the ASEAN Under-23 Cup in Jakarta on Tuesday.

FAM secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman said the protest was sent two days ago to Asian Football Federation (AFF) secretary-general Winston Lee and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

"We have sent a protest to the AFF and a cc (copy) to the AFC. This matter has caused discomfort for supporters and Malaysians," he said after the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between FAM and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) here today.

Earlier, several pictures went viral on social media showing the Jalur Gemilang being held upside down and scribbled on by a handful of Indonesian fans during the ASEAN Under-23 Cup group match at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

He said FAM was still waiting for an official response from the AFF and AFC on the form of action to be instituted against the parties involved or the tournament organisers.

Meanwhile, he confirmed that the Bukit Jalil National Stadium would be the venue for the Harimau Malaya international friendly matches against Singapore and Palestine in September.

"So far, these are the only two matches we have confirmed. The location has also been decided as Bukit Jalil and the squad will train at the Kuala Lumpur Stadium," he said.

These two matches are expected to be important avenues for the national team to test team strategy before the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers resume in October.

-- BERNAMA