KUALA LUMPUR — The newly appointed president of the Kuala Lumpur Football Association (KLFA), Syed Yazid Syed Omar, has a clear top priority: resolving the long-standing salary arrears affecting KL City players.
Yazid was elected as KLFA president at the association’s 35th Congress today, defeating acting president Datuk Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid with a 15-12 vote. His term will run until 2028.
His challenges extend beyond turning Kuala Lumpur into a formidable force in Malaysian football as he must also seek out potential investors to revitalise the association.
He revealed that he has a plan to address KL City’s financial struggles, but first, he needs to meet with the newly formed KLFA committee to better understand the full extent of the financial issues.
He added that several parties have already expressed verbal commitments to inject funds into KL City, which brings hope for a brighter future.
“As of now, I’ve reviewed the outstanding wages, but in terms of the total arrears including EPF, SOCSO, and tax with Lembaga Hasil, I’m not sure yet. I need to go through all the documents first.
“I’ve already organised what I need to do, so it’s not like I’m only figuring things out after winning today. In fact, I’ve already started working.
“Before my victory today, several parties, including both government and private sectors, had expressed interest in sponsoring Kuala Lumpur if I were to win,” said Yazid.
Previous reports revealed that KL City players have not received their salaries for seven months, and it is estimated that the club’s management is currently burdened with debts amounting to RM24 million.
The amount includes operating costs and specific payments for KL City’s Super League squad and the Under-23 (U-23) team since 2021.
In fact, several players, including team captain Paulo Josue, have hinted that if the salary issue is not resolved, he and several other teammates may consider leaving KL City at the end of this season.
Yazid plans to meet with the players to address the issue and resolve it as quickly as possible.
“I believe most of the players already know me, but perhaps they want to see how the new president handles things first.
“Of course, I will meet with them to explain the team’s current situation. My advice to all the players is to be patient while my team and I work to resolve the matter,” he added.
In the same election, Datuk Sri Wong Yeon Chai and Datuk Kamarudin Hassan were elected as deputy presidents, with 15 and 18 votes, respectively.
Their challengers, Datuk Afdlin Shauki and Datuk Azril Mat Drus, received 10 and 11 votes. — October 12, 2024