KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) president Mohammed Iqbal Ali Kassim Ali hopes the association will be lifted by the Youth and Sports Ministry in these trying times.
MCA had been ordered to vacate their current home, the Kinrara Oval in Puchong, after failing to settle RM1.8 million in assessment fees with the landowner Perumahan Kinrara Berhad (PKB).
Speaking to The Vibes, Iqbal said the association deserves all the help it can get, especially from the Sports ministry.
“We are a sports body, we need the support.
“We have to sit down and come to a win-win conclusion,” he said.
He added that MCA is ranked third in the world outside the Test nation countries for the International Cricket Council (ICC) scorecard.
The ICC scorecard is not based on the team’s performance on the pitch but for the association’s overall ability in terms of management.
“We are also recognised by the ICC and we have a good relationship with them,” he added.
In a statement, Iqbal addressed the immediate effects of the eviction.
“At the moment, our concerns turn to the national players, who will now need to be housed elsewhere and the 42 full-time staff, who are understandably concerned.”
He also stated for the record that MCA has not paid the current outstanding amount because it was a disputed matter.
“MCA is up to date with statutory payments, including those to the Land Office. The tariff for quit rent was based on sports and recreation.
“As a non-profit organisation and the national sporting association with Kinrara Oval as the home of cricket in Malaysia, we strongly believed that the Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) tariff for assessment should have been based on sports and recreation instead of a commercial rate.
“It was for this reason we had disputed the tariff and were taken to court, on which the judgement came against us,” the statement said.
Iqbal added that this issue did not just arise but has been an ongoing matter.
“We really need their support now more than ever.” – The Vibes, April 1, 2022
