Ban lifted for 84 footballers caught for match-fixing. Bad precedent?


The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) have lifted the ban on the 84 players caught for match fixing 22 years ago.
FAM deputy-president Datuk Seri Affandy Hamzah said the players are now free to participate in all football-related activities at state and national levels.

“Of the six players who are serving life bans, we will appeal to the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) and FIFA (world football’s governing body) to lift their sentences,” said Affandy after chairing the FAM executive committee meeting at the Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya on Monday.
Read the full report here.
The lifting of ban is good news for the 84 former players once caught for match-fixing and are eager to return.

But are we setting a wrong precedent by allowing them back into the scene?
It would be interesting to know how have these 84 players assisted the authorities in nabbing bookies. We have not heard of any "big fish" arrested since the crackdown on players and officials more than two decades ago.
Remember the joint committee between FAM, police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission? What are the updates? Still no "evidence"? 
Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, had November last year, said:
"Match-fixing has been shackling national football since several years ago but continuous effort is being carried out by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) with the ministry to combat the scrouge."
Read the full report here.
What are the continuous efforts? 
So many questions, so little answers. To the 84 former players, please do share the secrets of the trade that has killed Malaysian football which is now ranked 174 in the world. Consider it as national service. That's the least you can do.
By the way, the picture above says it all. Yes folks, there are punters who are still monitoring our M-League closely. Let's see odds when Johor Darul Takzim takes on PKNS FC in the final on May 14.

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