FAM refutes news portal claim it warned Sarawak over league standing, says no such directive issued

KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) today denied allegations by a news portal report that the governing body had issued a warning to Sarawak regarding the state’s league standing within the national football pyramid.

In a statement released today, FAM emphasised that it has never issued any directives, official statements, or warnings as alleged, and was not involved in producing, approving, or commenting on the sources referenced in the report.

“No directive, official statement, or warning has ever been issued by FAM through any unofficial channels to support the content published by the portal in question,” the statement read.

FAM explained that the Technical Director of the National Football Development Programme (NFDP), Datuk Ong Kim Swee, recently held a meeting with the President of the Football Association of Sarawak (FAS), Datuk Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman.

According to the governing body, the meeting was aimed to align the football development pathway in Sarawak, as well as to discuss guidelines concerning grassroots development and the structured progression of youth players into professional football.

The FAM also stressed that any statements attributed to the association must be channeled through official platforms and not rely on anonymous sources that could mislead the public.

Consequently, FAM deemed it inappropriate for any party to raise issues regarding the structure or framework of football governance without clearly identifying themselves or providing verifiable proof of the national football governing body’s involvement.

At the same time, FAM warned that any dissemination of unverified allegations in the public space will be viewed seriously, and appropriate action will be taken. — Bernama