KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Football League (MFL) is under pressure to address the issue of overdue salary payments in accordance with Asian Football Confederation (AFC) regulations.
The league administrators are aware that failure to comply could result in the withdrawal of licencing rights.
MFL chief executive officer Datuk Stuart Ramalingam said they are serious in addressing the issue and have consulted AFC for guidance and insights to navigate it.
"The MFL is serious in doing its best to combat this unwanted situation yearly with strong licensing decisions by the First Instance Body (FIB) being taken on errant clubs like Sarawak United and Melaka United in previous years," said Stuart.
"Kelantan had also failed to obtain a national license and points deductions were imposed on Kedah this season".
FIB is an independent decision-making body appointed by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) which oversees club licencing matters.
Financial Fair Play rules were introduced in April, and the first financial submission deadline is today.
Stuart disclosed that the audit team has already visited a number of clubs.
"This will be the first time MFL will be able to take proactive action to evaluate the in-season financial health (of clubs), which will allow the MFL to take early intervention should there be overdue payment issues during the season, not only at the end of licensing process," said Stuart.
"Many are not aware that MFL also works closely with the Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia. Both organisations have the same objectives."
MFL urges clubs facing financial troubles to recognise the broader impact of their actions on the league and take steps to rectify the issues they are facing.