Since you’re so smart, take over Kedah football team, Sanusi tells MACC

 

Menteri besar Sanusi Nor said the MACC’s raids on Kedah FA gave the public the perception that the football body was corrupt.

PETALING JAYA: Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor has sarcastically invited the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to manage Kedah Darul Aman (KDA) FC after claiming that the anti-graft agency’s raids on Kedah FA (KFA) have impacted the football team’s ability to secure sponsors.

KFA president Sanusi said the MACC’s raids on KFA had given the public the impression that the football body was corrupt, adding that potential backers were now expressing reluctance to invest in KDA FC due to the corruption probe.

“When enforcement agencies conduct raids, supposedly there’s corruption in KFA. People cannot differentiate between KFA and KDA FC, people only know the football team (KDA FC),” he said at a press conference.

“When arrests were made and people were accused of corruption, when there isn’t any… Then KDA FC’s sponsors ran away. They said there’s corruption.

“I suggest MACC take over the football team (KDA FC). (Since) you’re so smart. You investigate people, accuse them (of corruption) and then arrest them… (If) you’re smart, (why don’t) you run the football team and pay salaries. Can you?” he said sarcastically.

Sanusi claimed that if the MACC continued to investigate KFA, KDA FC might not be able to compete in the Malaysian Football League (MFL) next season due to financial constraints.

On Jan 6, KFA vice-president Radhi Mat Din confirmed that KFA CEO Zulkifli Che Haron was one of four men who had been remanded in an investigation into a RM6 million corruption case.

The RM6 million was allegedly offered as a kickback to help a firm owner obtain a tender to develop a racetrack, and another project to operate and maintain five water reservoir plants in the state.

Zulkifli and the other three were later released on bail.

Sanusi also responded to deputy local government development minister Akmal Nasrullah Nasir’s criticism about the delay in the upgrades the state government had planned for the Bukit Selambau water treatment plant, saying that this was due to an increase in construction material costs.

“After the tender was awarded, there was an increase in construction material cost of between 40% and 70%,” said Sanusi, adding that the state government had no control over such price hikes. - FMT