17 Jan Former Perak imports seeking Fifa’s assistance

FORMER Perak players Carlos Caceres, Jorge Nunoz and Mario Bario (left), who featured for Perak in the 2007 and 2008 seasons, have written to Fifa seeking the world body’s assistance to help claim a combined total of US$54,000 (RM186,000) owing to them in salaries by the Perak FA. The Chilean trio have waited for about four months since writing to the FA of Malaysia and have not received a reply. The FA of Malaysia said that it’s is not its fault since it is the Perak Football Association (PFA) who owe the money. But where Fifa is concerned it only deals with the national association and not state FAs. “We have officially written to Fifa with our complaint regarding the late payment of our salaries. We cannot wait any longer as there has been no response from the Perak FA at all,” said one of the players who wished not to be named.

The players decided to write to Fifa after learning that Perak FA president Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin had said that its (Perak FA) immediate concern is taking care of the current squad. “At the moment, we can only take care of the present squad. “The former players who have not been paid for five to six months will have to wait. “We will only be able to pay them when our financial standing improves,” Nizar said at a recent PFA press conference. The PFA, in wages alone, owes RM600,000 with its former coach Steve Darby claiming RM 120,000. “The PFA can take up to two years to pay, are we suppose to wait that long? How can a professional association treat players like this,” added the player.