KUALA LUMPUR: Sports observer Datuk Dr. Pekan Ramli has called for immediate reforms by football authorities before the M-League suffers a total collapse.
Clubs have been struggling to exist since the suffocating rules set by the Malaysian Football League (MFL), and even Kedah, traditionally, one of the better off states in Malaysian football, have been brought to their knees.
On Saturday, Kedah had to field their Under-23 team for a Super League match against KL City after their senior team players went on strike due to non-payment of salaries. It was a mismatch, the Under-23 side lost 5-0, making a mockery of the Super League.
Pekan has called for immediate and sweeping reforms to prevent the league from becoming a failed project.
The sports pundit warns that if no drastic action is taken, the future of revered clubs like Kedah, and the M-League itself looks bleak.
"This situation has metastasised into a full-blown epidemic. The list of financially stable teams is shrinking, while venerable institutions like Kelantan have already succumbed to the crisis.
"This is no longer a mere inconvenience; it's a systemic failure that could see more iconic teams vanish from the footballing landscape."
Pekan is critical of FAM and MFL's club licensing criteria, which he argues, are exacerbating the problems.
"The existing regulations are suffocating our teams. How can we expect clubs to thrive when they are burdened with unattainable requirements?
"It's time to reevaluate these rules. Why FAM continues to have them despite their detrimental impact?
"If we don't confront this issue head-on, the M-League could face a terminal decline within the next two years. It's imperative for all stakeholders to speak out and push for substantive changes."
Pekan said MFL's expanded new import quotas and requirement for M-League clubs to have additional teams (Under-23 Reserve League team, Youth Cup team and President's Cup team) in order to get a national licence, have placed great financial strain on the clubs.
"These policies are causing teams to overspend and jeopardize their financial health.
"We need a revised structure that alleviates financial pressures and promotes local talent rather than prioritising expensive foreign players," said Pekan who hopes that Giorgio Pompili Rossi, the newly appointed MFL CEO, can remedy
the situation.