KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Football League (MFL) has confirmed that its second-biggest sponsor, CIMB, has activated its right to terminate its RM2 million sponsorship deal for the M-League next season.
In the 1+1 sponsorship deal starting 2020 to 2022 CIMB signed with MFL early this year, a clause is included that allows the bank to terminate its contract upon discussion after one year, meaning the new move is not in breach of contract.
At the same time, low-cost airline AirAsia Bhd, which has been loyal to Malaysian football since last year, is also discontinuing its sponsorship next year due to financial challenges as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The Vibes had reported on November 13 that MFL was set to lose RM40 million in sponsorship based on strong speculation within the football fraternity.
MFL CEO Datuk Ghani Ab Hassan said MFL respects the sponsors’ decisions to discontinue their commitments for the M-League calendar for the 2021 season.
“It is sad but we remain positive with plans prepared before. AirAsia stated its intention earlier not to extend sponsorship with MFL, while CIMB had a meeting with us three days ago and made the same decision. We are now waiting for an official letter from CIMB,” Ghani said.
He thanked the sponsors for their contribution to national football, especially during these difficult times.
Though MFL has lost two sponsors, Ghani confirmed that Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) will remain committed as the main sponsor of the M-League next season.
“TM will still be with us. I had a meeting with (MFL president) Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin and TM's top management representatives, and confirmed this. We are currently holding the post-mortem discussion for the 2020 season and making preparations for the 2021 season,” he said.
Meanwhile, MFL’s deal with Shopee could be revived after the partnership initially ended abruptly due to the pandemic, causing MFL to lose RM1 million in funding earlier this year. Discussions between the two parties are ongoing.
“We are also negotiating with Shopee for the new season and I hope it goes well. Most importantly, I hope all parties, especially supporters, do not panic with sponsors pulling out because the MFL is currently holding discussions with other potential sponsors that have expressed their desire to come in and support us.
“All we want is to be able to continue the M-League next season, despite having to face tough challenges." – The Vibes, November 28, 2020
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