Allow fully-vaccinated fans to attend football matches, requests MFL

KUALA LUMPUR − The Malaysian Football League (MFL) have again appealed to the authorities to allow fans who have completed both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine jabs to attend Malaysia League (M-League) matches in stadiums.

MFL president Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan said they have prepared an improved working paper, with several new conditions, to be submitted to the National Security Council (MKN).

One of the new conditions is that only fans who have already completed both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine jabs be allowed entry into the stadiums.

“The relaxation on individuals who have already had both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine jabs should be extended to football fans to enable them to go to the stadiums to watch the matches,” he said at his first press conference as the MFL president that was held virtually yesterday.

Ab Ghani said the MFL also hoped that the percentage of fans allowed into stadiums could be increased compared to the highest number given previously, which was 25 per cent capacity or 8,000 spectators. 

“We are not asking for much... retain the status quo or, if possible, increase (the capacity) so as to bring back the excitement to the M-League. I hope the MKN will consider this,” he said.

In mid-March, the MKN agreed to allow fans to attend matches at stadiums or venues for sports events, like the M-League, effective April 1, almost a year after M-League games were played in empty stadiums following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, and the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras, which were selected as pilot projects to evaluate the effectiveness of the spectator management protocol, became the two earliest venues to re-admit fans on April 2 and 3.

The MKN later allowed the MFL to open the gates for fans to attend all M-League matches beginning April 6 before the ‘privileges’ were stopped following an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases nationwide.

Meanwhile, Ab Ghani said the MFL had also applied to the MKN to make it compulsory for only players or officials who tested positive for Covid-19 to be placed under quarantine and the team be allowed to train and play as usual. – Bernama, August 19, 2021