KUALA LUMPUR – Selangor FC has lodged multiple police reports against the football fan page Bola Tribe for instigating hatred among fans through its social media posts.
The first provocative post released by Bola Tribe featured a photo of a Buddhist temple with the word “Tokong” (meaning temple in Malay) on its facade.
Above the entrance, a large sign read “Home of Selangor FC”, accompanied by the Football Association of Malaysia and Malaysian Football League (MFL) logos altered with phallic symbols.
A monk dressed in red and yellow robes, matching the colours of Selangor FC, sat in a meditative pose at the temple’s entrance.
The page, which has been active since 2021 with a total of 10,627 followers across Facebook, X, and Instagram, also posted another provocative image using the likeness of Lord Buddha, merging it with Selangor FC’s logo and the words “The Real Tokong” (the real temple in Malay) on its facade.
Bola Tribe’s posts also caught the attention of Lembah Jaya assemblyman Syed Ahmad Syed Abdul Rahman Alhadad, known as Altimet, who urged the police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to investigate the posts for race, religion, and royalty (3R) issues.
Selangor FC CEO Johan Kamal Hamidon slammed the page for provoking fans and tarnishing the club’s and the sport’s image, which are meant to unite people from all walks of life.
“Everything has a limit, and what the page is doing is beyond acceptable. Severe punishment should be imposed on those running the page.
“I don’t understand what these people gain by spreading unnecessary hatred between fans. All the clubs in the country, including Selangor, are doing our level best to promote positivity and unity through football.
“Posts like these definitely ruin the image of the sport, and we should not encourage pages with such a low-class mentality in our country. I’m glad to see many people, including Altimet, who recently voiced their concerns about this matter on their platforms, condemning the cheap acts of the football page.
“We at Selangor have already lodged several reports on the page, and I hope stern action will be taken by the police and MCMC against the page,” said Johan during his visit with The Crown Prince of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah, at the 3K Sports Complex in Subang Jaya this morning.
This incident follows the recent controversy involving Selangor FC and the Malaysian Football League (MFL).
Selangor FC was penalised by the MFL for withdrawing from the 2024-2025 Super League’s Charity Shield match against Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) on May 10.
The sanctions included a RM100,000 fine, a three-point deduction for the season, a ban on spectators for the upcoming Selangor-JDT match, and compensation for the losses incurred by JDT and MFL.
The controversy intensified when the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, described the punishments as excessively harsh.
In response, MFL overturned the points deduction and lifted the spectators’ ban, as well as reducing the fine by 40%. – June 30, 2024