More Malaysian booters banned for life

More Malaysian booters banned for life

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): The football association of Malaysia's
northern Kedah state has banned five players for life for
match fixing as officials stepped up bids to clean up Malaysian
soccer, news reports said yesterday.

Kedah's move followed a similar punishment unprecedentedly
meted out on Wednesday by the national Football Association of
Malaysia (FAM) on six players from eastern Sabah state.

"We are banning the five for life to serve as a deterrent to
others and we don't want to have anything to do with people who
have betrayed us and the profession, Kedah FA deputy president
Ahmad Basri Akil was reported saying by the New Straits Times
daily.

Former international Lee Kin Hong along with S. Thanasegar,
Lee Thean Ewe, Faridzuan Hamid and Norazam Ishak would also be
banned from representing the state in any international
tournaments as well, state football officials said.

The five were earlier this year suspended by the FAM after
they admitted involvement in match fixing in last year's Malaysia
premier league.

They were members of the Kedah state team which won the
premier league and Malaysia Cup titles in 1993.

"There is no way we can be lenient with the five because they
had confessed to the police that they were involved with bookies.
They should pay a heavy price for that," Basri said.

The five players were among 150 Malaysian footballers and
officials hauled up by police early this year in a nationwide
crackdown on match fixing launched last year.

Fifty-eight others who had admitted involvement in fixing
matches last season were banned from playing for up to four
years, while another 21 were banished and sent into internal
exile and suspended from playing for periods ranging from one to
four years.

The Malaysian league turned professional two years ago, and
has lost many of its top players in the clampdown following the
bribery scandal.