KUALA LUMPUR – Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim has spoken up against those accusing him of being the ‘invisible hands’ within the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
The allegation, which recently went viral over the internet, was made against Tunku Ismail for not releasing more players from Johor Darul Ta’zim to join the Harimau Malaya squad for the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 tournament.
He was also accused of intervening in the matter of player selection for the regional competition, which contributed in part to the failure of the national team to qualify past the group stage matches.
During a live YouTube broadcast by Astro Arena today, the Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) owner said: “People accuse me of meddling with the decisions within FAM but all I did was express my opinion. I own the club so I’m allowed to express my views.
“The real problem here is the lack of transparency between FAM and the media, clubs and fans about what really happened,” he said during the interview that took place in Dubai.
Tunku Ismail said the FAM and then coach Tan Cheng Hoe should have made it clear to the fans and media about several JDT players, who were missing from the national team.
“I’m not disappointed or angry when people accuse me (of being the ‘invisible hands’), but I am disappointed that Tan Cheng Hoe and FAM did not make it clear to the media why some JDT players weren’t able to join the tournament,” he said.
“For example, (Gambian-born player) Mohamadou Sumareh went back to see his family, which was planned a year ago while Mohammad Syamer Kutty Abba suffered a groin injury.”
Tunku Ismail added that Cheng Hoe failed to make early preparations for the tournament, saying that he should have “filled the squad with Under-23 players instead of only relying on a preferred set of players.”
He also added that the players were demoralised during the AFF Cup tournament and insisted that Cheng Hoe be responsible for their morale and performance at the tournament. – The Vibes, January 27, 2022
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