The pro-Anwar group Otai Reformis 1998 has urged the Selangor government not to give the Football Association of Selangor (FAS) the additional funding that the association has demanded.

Instead, it said, FAS should explain how it has spent the nearly RM23 million in state funding allocated for this year and seek its own funding.

“Otai Reformis is of the view that the fund (requested) is more critically needed for welfare programmes.

“Otai Reformis also wants to raise here that in this year alone, the state government has spent nearly RM23 million on the FAS. FAS should explain how the money was spent.

“Otai Reformis is also of the same opinion as the menteri besar that it is about time that FAS seeks its own funding,” the group said in a statement today.

The statement was jointly signed by its chairperson Saari Sungib, who is also Hulu Kelang assemblyperson, and the group’s secretary Abdul Razak Ismail.

On Tuesday, FAS deputy president Abdul Mokhtar Ahmad was reported as saying that the association may have to withdraw the state football team Red Giants from the Malaysian Super League next year.

This is a final resort, if the team management budget submitted to Selangor Menteri Besar and FAS president Mohd Azmin Ali is not approved, Mokhtar said.

“We will only get a clear picture on this in the middle or at the end of January (next year). Whether we can continue or have to withdraw can only be decided then,” Berita Harian quoted him as saying.

The association had requested RM15 million for the next season.

Its Kelantan counterpart, the Kelantan Football Association (Kafa), has also indicated that it would withdraw from the league because it is not able to raise enough money to manage the Kelantan team Red Warriors for the tournament.