Someone must be held responsible for disgraceful act of violence in FA Cup final

THE powers-that-be have been either awfully quiet or obtuse in the wake of a disgraceful act that defiled the FA Cup final at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium a week ago.

A KL City fan had lodged a police report, alleging assault by Johor Military Force (JMF) personnel and several men dressed in civilian clothing during the Cup final, with videos of the incident having gone viral on social media.

The footage was recorded last Saturday during the Cup final between Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) and KL City, showing a uniformed man, alleged to be a JMF officer, walking towards several spectators before dragging them out of the stadium’s sitting area.

A more distressing 13-second clip had also gone viral, showing a man on the ground being brutally and senselessly kicked by several people behind the spectators’ sitting area.

Bernama reported Iskandar Puteri District Police Chief, ACP Rahmat Ariffin, as saying that a 30-year-old man claimed he was injured and lodged a report at the Sungai Besi Police Station, Kuala Lumpur, adding that the case was being investigated under Section 326 of the Penal Code (for causing serious injury by using a weapon or other dangerous objects).

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), as guardians of the game, reacted six days after the incident, not by condemning the act but by responding to criticism from an academician, Mohd Sadek Mustaffa, who reportedly chastised the FAM for remaining silent.

In the FAM statement, Datuk Wira Mohd Yusoff Mahadi, said the governing body could not interfere in the case as one of the victims had lodged a police report a day after the final.

Following this act of violence, the Police, the Malaysian Safe Sports Code (SSC) and the Disciplinary Board of the FAM, which on paper is independent of the governing body, will come under the microscope.

How does the right of a spectator to be in a safe environment free from any form of harassment or abuse, be viewed under the SSC launched in March by Sports Minister, Hannah Yeoh?The SSC mind you, is intended to protect the entire sports community, including athletes, officials and even spectators, from any form of harassment, abuse or violence that can affect their physical or mental health.

Hannah, who was quick to condemn the slapping incident involving the junior volleyball coach in January to the extent of announcing the revocation of his coaching licence in a specially arranged press conference at Menara KBS, happened to be the guest of honour at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, accompanied by among others Datuk Stuart Ramalingam, chief executive officer of the Malaysian Football League, the league organisers, who is also the co-ordinator of the Ministry’s Road to Gold (RTG) committee chaired by Hannah.

Although the match fell under the auspices of the MFL, disciplinary matters relating to the game come under the FAM’s ambit, according to their statutes.

In the past, the FAM disciplinary board had taken punitive measures in the wake of crowd disturbance or hooliganism at venues.

In 2009, the board, headed by lawyer and former international defender Kamaruddin Abdullah, took a firm stand against violence by handing Kelantan a season-long home ban along with a total of RM90,000 in fines for disturbances during two matches against Negri Sembilan – one a Super League encounter and the other an FA Cup semi-final clash at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium. The board also ordered Kelantan to play all their matches, be they at senior, youth or age-group level, at neutral grounds.

In 1994, Selangor played Sarawak to an empty Merdeka Stadium because of a smoke bomb incident days earlier against Kedah.

The then FAM disciplinary board chairman, Datuk Mohd Zaman Khan (Tan Sri) said: “Somebody has to be held responsible for ensuring safety and order at matches, in this case, as the host, it was FAS’ responsibility.”

A stadium ban or hefty fines should be imposed for any form of crowd disturbance that may endanger the lives of others. Any action that can be construed as acts of violence must be dealt with accordingly. I cite the two cases as precedents under previous FAM’s administrations.

In the interim, we trust the police will be able to investigate the matter without fear or favour. All forms of high-handedness should not be condoned by Kerajaan Madani.

The politicians, meanwhile, should not keep quiet as fools multiply when wise men remain silent. Ultimately, someone should be held responsible and accountable for the contemptible and despicable incident.