KUALA LUMPUR: Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia (PFAM) have urged Melaka United to settle their players' unpaid wages totalling RM2.3 million.
PFAM revealed that Jan 18 was the deadline in their notice to the Melaka management to pay the players the amount owing from July to December last year.
PFAM, in a statement, said that the Melaka United players have been enduring hardship after going six months without pay.
"The reality faced by the Melaka United players is very saddening.
"They should be paid their wages based on their contracts which were mutually agreed upon," read the statement.
"There is no need for the players to beg or ask for assistance. It's as if the players had committed an offence to not deserve their wages.
"On Nov 4, the National Dispute Resolution Chamber (NDRC) had decided that Melaka United should pay one month's wages first but till now, they have failed to adhere to the order and the report about the remaining months of unpaid wages had been sent to the FA of Malaysia for NDRC's hearing."
PFAM also revealed that the ownership issue of Melaka United had made the situation murkier as the responsible parties seem to be reluctant to cooperate in solving the problem.
Last month, Melaka United chief executive officer Datuk Justin Lim revealed that the owner of the club — KenTeam Sdn Bhd owned 70 per cent of the club's shares and the remaining 30 per cent was owned by Melaka United Soccer Association (MUSA).
Justin had said that they had settled their part of the wage arrears, and MUSA should pay their part of the arrears based on the ownership agreement.
To make matters worse, MUSA have also set up a different team to compete in the amateur M3 league for this season.
PFAM said the responsible parties must settle the wages arrears as the players' plight is getting worse
"PFAM will go after the culprits to get them to pay up. The players are badly affected by these irresponsible parties who take their rights and welfare for granted."