PETALING JAYA: There appears to be light at the end of the tunnel for Perak to remain in the Super League in the future, but a major overhaul of the team’s salary structure is seen as essential.
This comes amid news that three parties have shown interest in acquiring Perak from current owners XOX Pro Sports Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of XOX Berhad.
Former Perak Football Association (Pafa) president Datuk Seri Abdul Puhat Mat Nayan believes the Seladang must rebuild from the ground up, starting with a more modest salary package for players to ensure greater financial stability under a new ownership.
“It is truly disheartening that Perak will no longer be competing in the local football league, as the state is one of the most storied in Malaysian football history,” said Puhat when contacted.
“What I see now is that the game has become too heavily driven by money. Players are being offered salary packages of up to RM40,000 to RM60,000 a month, which teams simply cannot afford. Back when I was managing Perak, our monthly budget was around RM1.5mil and that was already considered high at the time, eight years ago.
“As for salaries, we must set a cap of RM20,000 or below. It’s not necessary to bring in big-name players, but at the same time, the figure shouldn’t be so low that players lose interest in playing for Perak. All parties involved need to sit down and agree on a realistic wage structure so we don’t end up facing the same problems again.’’
He also urged the team to shift their target from title contenders to being a stable and consistent side in the league over the next few seasons.
With a reduced salary cap, he said it would be nearly impossible to attract big-name players or high-profile foreign imports to join the squad.
“If we want to make a fresh start, we need to rebuild from the ground up. The targets should not be set too high. A top-four finish is unrealistic for now, so I would suggest aiming for a top-six position as a reasonable first step,” he added.
Perak are currently grappling with a severe financial crisis, with players reportedly going without salaries for the past six to seven months.
As a result, the team’s chairman Datuk Seri Azim Zabidi has announced that Perak will be pulling out of next season’s Super League campaign.
This is not the first time Perak have faced such a situation. Back in 2022, under the ownership of Impact Media and Communication (IMC) Sdn Bhd, the team also struggled with a severe financial crisis before XOX stepped in to acquire the club for a nominal fee of RM1.
