KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 — The suspension of the Football Association of Perak (PAFA) by the Sports Commissioner following constitutional violations will not affect Perak FC’s participation in the 2022 Malaysia League (M-League).

Malaysian Football League (MFL) chief executive officer Stuart Ramalingam explained that PAFA and Perak FC are two separate entities following the local football league’s privatisation process.

"Nothing will happen as they are not in the same organisation,” he told Bernama.

Media outlets had earlier reported that Sports Commissioner Ibrahim Mohd Yusof announced that PAFA had been suspended for six months for violating the association’s constitution due to the removal of 12 of its affiliate members.

The decision to suspend PAFA was reached in a meeting attended by Kerian District Football Association secretary Tajul Hasnan, representing the 12 affected affiliates and acting PAFA president Datuk Muhammad Yadzan Mohammad today.

The 12 affiliate members that were removed are the football associations of Perak Tengah, Tapah, Kampar, Gerik, Lenggong, Hulu Perak, Kampung Gajah, Ipoh, Larut Matang & Selama, Hilir Perak, Kerian and the Perak Malay Football Association.

On November 25, Muhammad Yadzan announced the removal of the 12 PAFA affiliates during a media conference, and claimed that they were planning to hold an extra-ordinary general meeting (EGM) imminently.

Their removal, he said, was due to a violation of Article 80 of the PAFA constitution regarding membership that states that no affiliate member can be a member of two associations. — Bernama