The Armed Forces Football Association (PBAT) has promised to settle the outstanding salary of players within 30 days and would not go beyond the 90-day grace period set by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
PBAT President General Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor acknowledged that the delay in payment was due to technical errors but did not reveal the amount owed to players.
Raja Mohamed said he would not be able to reveal the actual date for the 90-day deadline for the settlement of the outstanding salary of players since PBAT has yet to receive an official letter from the FAM.
“There were some technical problems and that caused the delay. However, we are not taking the matter lightly and will settle the arrears within the 90-day period given the FAM,” he said.
“The payment will be in accordance with their contract,” he told reporters at Wisma Perwira Tentera Darat, Kem Perdana Sungai Besi, here Monday.
The Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia (PFAM) had urged three M-League teams to settle back wages owed to players amounting to about RM4.32 million.
PFAM chief executive officer Izham Ismail said the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) owed RM3.7 million, Kelantan (over RM400,000) and FELDA United FC (FUFC) (RM220,000).
In the case of ATM, players were found to have two different contracts, namely Contract A which had been approved by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), and Contract B, involving only ATM and the players, with both of them stating different salary amounts.
He said the PBAT had also taken the initiative to set up a football academy with the first recruitment of 61 players, aged between 16 to 17 and housed at the Terendak Camp in Melaka. – BERNAMA
