KUALA LUMPUR: Super League side Kelantan Darul Naim (KDN) have been fined RM5,000 by the Malaysian Football League (MFL) for illegally live-streaming M-League matches on their Facebook page.
The MFL has also issued a stern warning to KDN, cautioning that more severe penalties will follow if the offence is repeated.
MFL said streaming matches on social media platforms or websites is prohibited under Section 43AA of the Copyright Act.
Exclusive rights to broadcast M-League matches currently belong to Astro and RTM.
MFL chief executive officer Giorgio Pompili Rossi said: "We strongly discourage the promotion or use of illegal websites for live matches, and we urge fans to support their clubs by watching through legitimate channels."
Rossi also underlined the significance of protecting the commercial value of the M-League, noting that broadcasting rights form a vital revenue stream for clubs.
"We take the privacy and content rights of M-League matches seriously to safeguard the interests of our official broadcasters," he said.
"We are disappointed by the ongoing promotion of illegal broadcasts and hope this issue will not arise again."