PETALING JAYA: Some Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) fans have earned the “royal wrath” for unleashing a giant banner depicting a dog in a suit with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) emblem on it.
This took place during the Charity Shield match against Pahang at Larkin Stadium, Johor Baru on Saturday night.
Describing the act as biadap (disrespectful), the Crown Princess of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, said she was "ashamed" of the behaviour of the JDT supporters.
"As someone who was born and bred in Johor but settled in Pahang , and as the wife of the FAM president, this is all I have to say; BIADAP and KURANG AJAR (disrespectful and rude).
"My father never brought me up this way," she said in her personal Instagram account "tengkupuanpahang".
The banner depicted a dog with a human body holding a puppy with “RM” displayed in a bubble talk.
Many believed that they were implying that FAM only cared about money rather than managing local football.
The banner, which was unveiled at JDT supporters' section, also courted criticism from the netizens, saying that this was not the way to express their disagreement with FAM.
Some defended the move and denied allegations that the dog was made in reference to FAM president, Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, also the Crown Prince of Pahang.
"In no way the banner said they were referring to the royalty, they're just mocking FAM in general," a Facebook user said.
Although the banner seemed 'shocking' among local football enthusiasts, European football had seen a similar 'message' on a giant banner in August last year.
Polish football team, Legia Warsaw, unveiled a giant banner featuring a pig in the logo of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) after Legia Warsaw was removed from the Champions League qualifying round against Celtic for fielding an ineligible player.
Although no one has claimed responsibility for the controversial dog banner, Johor FA, in a statement, said 12 individuals have been identified and detained by the police.
"They will be remanded for five days to assist in investigations. If found guilty, they will be banned from any Johor stadiums for life," said Johor FA.
"Johor FA will not tolerate any form of provocation. We strongly urge all the supporters of Johor Darul Ta’zim to protect the good name of the club and heed the mandate of HRH Crown Prince of Johor to be professional," it added.
JDT edged Pahang 2-0 in the game which also doubled up as a Super League match.
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