KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 — Weaknesses in the types of contracts as well as terms offered to football coaches have complicated the efforts of the Football Coaches Association of Malaysia (PJBM) to seek justice and compensation for coaches facing issues such as salary arrears.

PJBM president B. Sathianathan said it was difficult for the association to help the coaches if the contract signed with the team did not clearly lay out the terms.

He said there were three types of ‘contracts’ used in Malaysia, the first of which is just a one-page offer letter to the coach to help assist the team, but is void of clear details, and thus can not be considered a contract.

This happens when a coach, especially a new or young one who has another job, takes unpaid or unrecorded leave to try his luck in coaching.

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“Secondly, what people have told me where many coaches are involved is of a condition (in the contract) that ‘after the end of the competition, the contract is cancelled’. So when the competition is cancelled, then the contract is also void.

“The third is the most appropriate contract, where the team and coach sign for a period of time, such as until November 2020. With this (type of contract) we can fight,” he told Bernama.

Meanwhile, Sathianathan, who is also the head coach of Super League side Selangor, urged the coaches who have yet to receive appropriate salaries or compensation from their teams to come forward and report the matter to PJBM.

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Sathianathan said the association could not help any coaches who were treated unfairly if they themselves did not take the effort to report the issue, often out of fear of losing their jobs.

“I or PJBM are not magicians who can know that you are being mistreated, even if not reported. If the coaches don’t come forward, we wouldn’t know...If they are afraid of their welfare, of action being taken against them, then don’t become a coach.

“We have a contract, so we have to fight for our rights. Do not be afraid of not getting another job later, or that the (respective) associations will not hire you,” he said.

He said there may also be some coaches who were taking a silent approach and waiting for the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to solve the salary issue by mandating full salary payment.

This comes after the President’s Cup, Youth Cup and Malaysia Premier Futsal League (MPFL) were cancelled, while the Super League and Premier League were delayed for more than five months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, FAM has required the teams to pay at least 25 per cent of the total salary to the players and coaches involved in the competitions that were cancelled.

According to Sathianathan, PJBM is also preparing an affidavit for a case involving the Sarawak Football Association which has not settled the salary arrears of a coach who was ‘rested’ last season. — Bernama