KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 — The Malaysian Football League (MFL) has announced that it will reduce the penalties against Selangor FC for missing the Charity Shield match against Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), following uproar over their decision.
MFL officials said they were using their discretion to cut the RM100,000 fine against Selangor to RM60,000 and rescind the order for the club to play its next home match against JDT in an empty stadium.
They also said they were suspending the three-point deduction against Selangor FC over the incident, but would increase this in the event the club repeated the offence.
"The MFL board members today used their discretion to reconsider the decision made on June 24 against Selangor FC for their failure to play the Charity Shield match against JDT at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on May 10.
"The reconsideration is made as a gesture of respect and compliance with the decree by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah,” the MFL said in a statement.
However, Selangor FC will still be liable to compensate the MFL and JDT for commercial losses that resulted from its failure to play in the Charity Shield, which will be determined at a later time.
The club has three days from today to accept or contest this latest decision.
Yesterday, Sultan Sharafudin Idris Shah Alhaj of Selangor criticised the MFL for imposing the penalty against the state team for sitting out the Charity Shield shortly after star player Faisal Halim suffered an acid attack that left him with severe injuries.
The sultan called the initial penalty “excessive” and “inhumane”, especially as JDT was awarded a walkover victory and the Charity Shield as a result.
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