PETALING JAYA: The Amateur Football League (AFL) have decided to cancel this season's M3 League in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
AFL chairman Datuk Wira Yusoff Mahadi said following previous Malaysian Football League (MFL) board meetings, a decision (to cancel it) had to be made after taking into account health and safety issues, and the concerned teams' financial situation.
He explained that the decision to cancel the competition was guided by the
standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the National Security Council (NSC) and the Health Ministry (MOH).
With most of the matches being played at open venues, it will make carrying out the match organisation SOPs more difficult, particularly in monitoring the movement of individuals directly and indirectly involved after the NSC banned mass gatherings.
In fact, the teams' financial constraints to follow the SOPs or purchase equipment required by the NSC and MOH for the Covid-19 testing process – such as disinfectant liquid or body temperature scanners – were also taken into account, considering the additional cost to the home team's expenditure.
For the record, there are still 16 rounds remaining, excluding the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final, where the competition is divided into two groups, with the top four teams in each group advancing to the quarter-finals, then the semi-finals, and the final.
The M3 League was suspended after the Movement Control Order (MCO) was announced on March 18.
"After considering all aspects, the AFL had proposed not to resume the league in September. Furthermore, the tournament cannot be completed by December.
"This is because most of the teams' players are civil servants or private
sector employees who can only play on weekends, which are non-working hours.
"In addition, we have seen that some team sponsors have not continued their contracts as their businesses are facing losses due to the pandemic."
Yusoff said the AFL were planning the best mechanism to ensure that these amateur clubs can continue their battle next year.
"The MFL have also urged the organisers of the M4 League to jointly cancel it."