Harimau Malaya’s superstar goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi had an embarassing moment at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on June 11 after he was told by Immigration officers that he was barred from leaving the country for failing to pay his income tax.
According to a report by The New Straits Times‘s Ajitpal Singh, the 27-year-old goalie was supposed to board a plane with the rest of the national team to their training base in Brisbane, Australia but was prevented from doing so.
Khairul, who was once considered one of the best goalkeepers in Asia, reportedly re-joined the team on Monday after settling his income tax.
His absence from the national team’s Oceania tour left fans scratching their heads and head coach Ong Kim Swee’s decision to start third-choice keeper Farhan Abu Bakar in an embarrassing 2-0 defeat to Papua New Guinea last week sparked intense speculation about Khairul’s status.
FAM general-secretary Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin has confirmed the incident via a statement as reported by the NST.
“Khairul Fahmi was barred from leaving the country. He only knew about it when he was due to board the plane with his teammates to Brisbane
“We advised him to settle his dues with the Income Tax Department and he has done so. Khairul Fahmi has now travelled to Noumea and will be available for the friendly match against New Caledonia today, followed by Fiji in Nadi on June 26,” he was quoted as saying.
“We hope players will be more sensitive with issues that could see them being barred from travelling overseas as it can affect the national team,” Hamidin reportedly said in the statement.
