Twenty-three years - that is how long a group of Malaysian football players were left in the cold caught in a corruption scandal in the mid-1990s.

It was only yesterday that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) decided that the footballers are freed from the charge, and can return to the pitch as footballers or coaches.

“Thank you FAM, the Asia Football Confederation and the Youth and Sports Ministry for assisting us.

“Twenty-three years have been a long bout of torture for these unlucky players,” said Faridzul Kassim, president of the Kedah Former Footballers Association (Kefa).

Contacted by Malaysiakini, Faridzul said Kefa had before this sent several memorandums to FAM, AFC, the ministry and the Kedah government to appeal the matter.

Among others, the memorandum states how the players regret their actions and are keen to give back to the new generation of football players.

“We want to hold a youth programme on the dangers of being involved in corruption and drug abuse within the football industry.

“We needed to be accredited and freed from the FAM suspension, following the corruption scandal in 1994, to do this,” he said.

He said the authorities were free to reopen their cases, if any, of the players who were released from purgatory yesterday, if they are suspected of being involved in corrupt practices again.

Yesterday, FAM announced that 78 players who were suspended for alleged corruption and match-fixing in the 1990s can be active in the sport again.

Football Coaches Association Malaysia (PJBM) president B Santhinathan lauds the decision and hopes the group can contribute to the development of football in Malaysia.

“We accept them as people experienced in football and their service is needed in many areas.

“Among others, we need more coaches at the grassroots and youth levels. We really are short of experienced coaches.

“I encourage them to join PJBM and obtain coaching licences,” he said.

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