Twentytwo13

Ex-Kedah Darul Aman FC coach Rosle Md Derus wonders if he will ever get nine months’ owed salary despite FAM’s ruling

Rosle Md Derus

It wasn’t the start of the new year that Rosle Md Derus (main image) had hoped for.

The former Kedah Darul Aman FC (KDA FC) Under-23 head coach has been left in a lurch — he is still waiting for his salary, amounting to nine months, owed by his previous employer, and he is now without a team.

This is despite the FA of Malaysia (FAM) instructing KDA FC to pay Rosle the owed wages and house allowance, with the total being slightly over RM100,000.

According to a letter from FAM sighted by Twentytwo13, if KDA FC fails to pay Rosle within 30 days of receiving his banking details, the team “will not be able to register its players at the national or international level for three consecutive registration periods”.

This decision was made by the Status Committee, chaired by Datuk Joehari Ayub, following a meeting on Nov 27, 2024. Joehari is set to lead the national body as he is the sole candidate for the presidency’s post ahead of the FAM Congress on Feb 15.

“I’m at my wits’ end… perit (painful) as I’ve not received my salaries and now I don’t have a team,” said Rosle.

“FAM has made a decision, but I’ve still not received any payment. I’ve got bills to pay; even my car was repossessed by the bank recently. I need money to prepare my three children for school, as the new academic year begins next month.”

He also claimed that KDA FC has not made the mandatory contributions to the Employees Provident Fund, Social Security Organisation, and Inland Revenue Board.

Rosle, who is now based in Arau, Perlis, said he had reached out to KDA FC but was told that the matter “sedang diusahakan” (is being worked on).

“The act of not paying the wages of footballers and officials is becoming the norm and is being treated lightly. This is wrong as it will hurt the industry. Why should someone dream of being in football if they are not going to be paid on time?

“I just want what I’ve been owed, nothing more, nothing less. Even my assistant coach Zahid Hashim has not been paid for 10 months,” he added.

But it is business as usual for KDA FC, as its first team will play Kuching City FC in a Super League match in Kuching tomorrow.

According to the Malaysian Football League (MFL), clubs must comply with certain criteria to participate in national and/or Asian Football Confederation competitions. On its website, MFL stated that by implementing the Club Licensing System, football clubs will develop strong governance and organisational structures and implement stable financial management and reporting.

However, unpaid wages remain a nagging issue in Malaysian football, with reports of players and coaches not receiving their salaries being a norm annually.

While football is widely regarded as Malaysia’s No. 1 sport, many domestic teams struggle to raise funds and rely on the state and federal governments for assistance.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently revealed that RM15 million would be raised from the private sector for Malaysian football. This is in addition to the RM15 million allocated under Budget 2025.