The FAM also ruled that Singaporean side Lions XII would not play in the Super League next year after opting against renewing the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2011 with the Football Association of Singapore.
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The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has assured the LionsXII that each player will have a playing contract at the same salary for the 2016 season.
Velappan said if cost was a factor in the decisionmaking, then cash-rich FAM could subsidize the travel expenses.
FAS has not yet responded to FAM’s decision. But their departure might come as early as this Saturday, if they fail to overturn a 1-4 first-leg deficit against Pahang in the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals at Jalan Besar Stadium.
Singapore had previously parted ways with Malaysian football in 1994, in acrimonious fashion, after winning the Malaysian League and Cup double.
The debate on whether LionsXII will continue playing in the M-League has been going on for few weeks but after their EXCO meeting, FAM decided that the Lions will no longer play in the M-League and insisted that the decision is best for both parties.
Former Asian Football Confederation general secretary Peter Velappan called it a “drastic decision” and warned it wasn’t helpful for Malaysian football, where corruption is a major problem and the national team is languishing at 171st in the world.
Their return in 2012, in the form of the LionsXII under coach V Sundramoorthy, saw them finish runners-up in the 12-team MSL behind champions Kelantan.
It added that the team were informed that the FAS is consulting its key partners on the possibilities of the LionsXII players featuring in the S-League next season.
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“At this stage in the season, even if some of them or majority go back to the S-League (Singapore league) clubs, they cannot negotiate what they want”.
