Butler and Annuar Musa have one thing in common..

They were both penalised for speaking to the Press.

Terengganu coach Peter Butler (pic) has been handed a six months suspension and RM4,000 fine for "issuing a statement to the media without the approval of the team management", as reported here.

Earlier this year, Kelantan boss Annuar Musa was slapped with a similar gag by the FA of Malaysia. My article on Annuar Musa's suspension was highlighted by Yahoo! Malaysia.

Butler claims he has not received anything in black and white from the Terengganu FA pertaining the decision. Even Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Said told Bernama he has not received any report about the matter and will "resolve this matter his own way".

Apparently, it is widely known that Ahmad has been rather "supportive" towards Butler's cause.

However, Butler is not exactly a popular figure - on and off the training grounds - and he knows this for a fact. He left Kelantan in a huff and it looks like his second shot of coaching in Malaysia may turn forgettable - yet again. Ironically Butler and his ex-boss Annuar Musa now share one thing in common.

Personality aside, the fact remains that Malaysian coaches and officials do not have the luxury of speaking their mind especially to members of the Media.

They will constantly need to be politically correct, be mindful of their positions and most importantly butter the needful personalities to ensure their jobs are secured.

So expect scripted like answers and comments from coaches such as; "Kami bermain sangat baik hari ini walaupun kalah." or "Terima kasih kepada peminat yang masih menyokong kita walaupun kami tidak membawa pulang tiga mata hari ini."

Better still, FAs could draft two Press statements - one on winning the match and the other about losing the game - prior their matches to their respective coaches as this would certainly ease the burden of the coaches of not saying the wrong words.

Don't forget to include the Salam 1Malaysia and even one of the ministry's logo in the Press releases. Maybe that could help secure funds from the said ministries in time of need.

In fact, the gagging of coaches has proven one thing - that the Press should not bother speaking to the teams anymore.

Scorelines would do and everyone will go home happy. That's our 'professional' M-League for you.

And to the foreigners trying to earn a living in Malaysia - welcome to Malaysia! 

HD says: Bah!