KUALA LUMPUR – The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has made it clear that the governing body does not have any business links with the leadership of Ultras Malaya.
It was reported that a poison-pen letter in the form of an email went viral on social media, allegedly raising issues related to the leadership and management of FAM.
The email also claimed that FAM’s leadership had business links with Ultras Malaya’s leader, Mohd Ridzuan “Lekir” Haji Ahmad, citing it as the reason behind the football supporter club’s soft approach towards Harimau Malaya over the years.
FAM president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin said that he has only met with the leadership of Ultras Malaya less than three times since he became the president of the footballing body in 2018.
“I have met the Ultras Malaya only three times since I became the president, and there is no need for me to have any business link with them to change their narratives towards Harimau Malaya.
“The times when I have met them, which is probably less than three occasions, they have only come to discuss the national team’s preparation and to check ticket prices for the international matches that the team plays.
“There is no such thing as FAM benefiting from them or them benefiting from us,” said Hamidin, when met at Dorsett Grand Subang during FAM’s 60th annual congress.
Ultras Malaya, which is the largest fan supporter club in the country, first appeared in 2007 during the AFC Asian Cup campaign when Malaysia, along with Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, which hosted the competition.
The idea for this establishment was sparked in their online discussion, harimaumalaydotcom, after the poor performance shown by the national team in the early 2000s.
The club’s members consist of 14 states and other subdivisions of ultras in Malaysia.
Their main rivals are the fans of the Indonesia national football team, which has resulted in a number of violent clashes before, during, and after the derby match between the two nations.
Ultras Malaya has also been the subject of controversies in the past, where they provoked FAM by burning flares and firecrackers during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Saudi Arabia at the Shah Alam Stadium in 2015, which caused FAM to be subjected to disciplinary action from FIFA. – April 1, 2024