KUALA LUMPUR – Stadium management must prepare for any eventuality during football tournaments, especially when it comes to security issues, said Kuala Lumpur Football Association (KLFA) president Khalid Abdul Samad.
He said security measures should not be taken lightly even though Malaysian football fans have never shown extreme behaviour.
“As far as we are concerned, we have not seen the possibility of Malaysian fans rioting in mobs because our people are not as fanatical.
“But if it does happen, our stadium management should be ready with tight security measures.
“For example, our stadiums have many exits that should be opened to allow the crowd to escape safely in the event of rioting.
“I also think most of our stadiums’ structures are well-equipped to prevent people from climbing and entering the field when games are ongoing,” Khalid told a press conference at Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras this afternoon.
Khalid was commenting on a recent tragedy at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java on Saturday night that killed 125 people – including 32 children – and left hundreds more wounded.
The incident erupted after a league game between arch-rivals Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya FC, after the former lost on their home turf for the first time in 23 years.
Hundreds of fans entered the pitch in a frenzy after the match, and Indonesian police responded by firing tear gas to quell the angry outbursts.
However, this led to a stampede that led to scores of deaths and injuries.
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Khalid added that the tragedy should serve as a reminder to all of what can happen when supporters and authorities overstep their boundaries.
“Our condolences to the families in Indonesia whose family members died in the tragedy.
“We hope the tragedy will be a lesson learnt for relevant parties to control the situation and for fans to behave better during a tournament.
“It was a sad situation and we hope everyone will not step over the line,” he said.
Meanwhile, Khalid said the KL City FC team will be rewarded if they win the AFC Cup interzonal final match against Uzbekistan’s Sogdiana Jizzakh at Sogdiana Stadium on Wednesday.
The KL team made headlines after defeating Indian club ATK Mohun Bagan 3-1 in the semifinal.
However, Khalid admitted that the bonus would not be as much as other bigger clubs.
“Our bonus may not be as much as what other teams who are cash-rich have been getting.
“But we have been honest about it with them, and they know it. So far, they are satisfied with how much they have been getting.”
KL City have lately been reviewing deals and offers from private companies for club privatisation, he said.
Khalid said KL City are looking for parties that are committed to developing the sport and interested in turning it into a sustainable and profit-generating club.
“We are currently engaging with several potential private companies, but making football a viable business cannot be done overnight.
“Apart from increasing the team’s performance, we will also need to know how the company can help develop the sport in the long term,” he added. – The Vibes, October 3, 2022
