TANJUNG MALIM, Feb 18 — The standard operating procedure (SOP) for the 2022 Malaysia League (M-League), which is slated to start early next month, remains the same, said Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.
He said there was no proposal to offer any flexibility to the SOP following the spike in Covid-19 cases of late.
"The SOP for the M-League is still valid and I hope the public will always adhere to the rules stipulated by the National Security Council (NSC) on the advice of the Health Ministry. It is for the safety of all parties and self-SOP is more important to ensuring zero Covid-19 infections.
"However, I wish to advise the public and those involved (in the M-League) to get their booster shots," he said when met by Bernama and RTM after the closing ceremony of the Student Talent Identification Programme 2022 at the Sultan Azlan Shah Campus of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris here yesterday.
On Wednesday, Malaysian Football League (MFL) chief executive officer Stuart Ramalingam was reported to have said that a request to allow supporters to bring in food and drinks was one of three considerations mulled by the local league’s managing body that was rejected by the government for the new M-League season.
Stuart said the other two considerations that were also rejected were the issue of player quarantine if there is a positive case in the team as well as increasing the number of spectators at tournament venues.
The Super League is set to kick off on March 4 and the Premier League on March 5.
Earlier, over 300 students who attended the two-phased talent identification programme, held on January 26-27 and February 16-17, would be assessed before being offered places in Form One at the Perak State Sports School this year.
Ahmad Faizal said a selection meeting would be held to choose the students for the various sports, among them football, sepak takraw, netball and hockey, with the selection trials focusing not just on their skills and fitness but also on their academic capabilities.
— Bernama
