The Perak Football Association (PAFA) has come out expressing its regret over the violence that erupted from fans of the state football team during Tuesday’s Super League match at the Perak Stadium.
When Perak lost to Johor Darul Ta’zim 1-0 in the match, Perak fans started throwing objects onto the field, including firecrackers. They also threw objects at JDT supporters.
The commotion also spread through the seats of the spectators when supporters of the host state stormed at them and threw various objects, causing NSTP photographer Supian Ahmad and Sinar Harian reporter Razif Rosli, and two policemen on duty at the match, to be injured.
PAFA president, Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharuddin, said his organization would leave it to the police to investigate.
“It should not have happened, especially in a football match, as this will only mar the image of the state and the country on the whole.
“What is even more saddening is the fact that innocent people have fallen victim. In this case, media personnel,” Zainol said to The New Straits Times.
“PAFA truly regrets that the incident has happened,” he said after paying a visit to Supian and Razif at the NST state bureau office here yesterday.
Zainol, who further described the actions of Perak fans that night as having been uncivilized, said,
“PAFA will cooperate with the police to prevent a recurrence.
“We also hope the police will launch an investigation into the physical and mental aspects of those detained to see if any of them had taken any banned substances prior to watching the match, which may have affected their emotions and actions.”
Last season, PAFA was fined a sum of RM200,000 by FAM for various offences.
