MFL To Convene Roundtable With M-League Club CEOs, Stakeholders

KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Football League (MFL) plans to convene a roundtable meeting involving all Malaysia League (M-League) club chief executive officers and key stakeholders in the near future.

MFL chief executive officer Mohd Shazli Shaik Mohd said the session had been planned earlier but was delayed due to several unavoidable matters.

He said MFL remains open to suggestions and views from clubs as part of efforts to discuss the league’s direction and address current issues.

“We already had plans to meet all club CEOs, but as everyone knows, several matters cropped up which caused the delay.

“However, with requests and feedback coming from the clubs, we are open to it. Insya-Allah, MFL will organise a meeting involving all club CEOs, stakeholders and board members soon,” he said after a collaboration event between Konami and MFL here today.

Mohd Shazli said MFL is currently working to identify a suitable date to ensure that the attendance of all stakeholders can be properly coordinated.

He expects the meeting to take place before the end of April.

Addressing perceptions that the proposed meeting suggests the M-League is in a critical state, Mohd Shazli said that the situation is not as dire as portrayed.

He said the implementation of Financial Fair Play (FFP), now in its first year, will require time before its full impact on the league’s stability can be seen.

“(Spanish League) La Liga took five years to truly stabilise their league, while we are only in our first year and the process is still ongoing. However, we are already seeing many positive developments from the implementation of FFP.

“For us at MFL, we do not view the situation as critical or the league as declining. Instead, this meeting is a good platform to hear the clubs’ voices and further improve on the issues raised,” he said.

Recently, several clubs called for more serious discussions, including the possibility of holding a roundtable session involving all M-League stakeholders, particularly amid growing financial concerns among many teams.

Selangor FC, Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), Negeri Sembilan FC, Terengganu FC, Penang FC and Sabah FC are among the clubs supporting the proposal.

Recurring issues affecting the league include delayed salary payments to players and officials by several clubs, as well as rising operational costs compounded by ongoing tensions in West Asia.

-- BERNAMA