FAS to act with zero tolerance on bribery, match-fixing: President

KUCHING: The Football Association of Sarawak (FAS) will act with zero tolerance on bribery issues and will never allow unhealthy phenomenon such as match-fixing to make its way into the state football scene, says its president, Datuk Posa Majais.
He said the notion of some quarters who perceived that the FAS had turned the recent issue of match-fixing as an excuse for management failure or to set up the players, was baseless.
Posa said the association would only investigate based on the reports it received, and that they would not remain silent or allow the matter "to be swept under the carpet" if the information was found to be valid.
"If there is a need for me to act alone, then I will continue to fight (the issue). I am here not to gain popularity. In fact, I am prepared to be unpopular," he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Tourism, Culture, Arts, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has asked the state football management on whether there were players who were found to have dealt with, or had ties with match-fixing 'bookies'.
Yesterday, two Sarawak football players and a man suspected to be a 'bookie', who were under remand to facilitate investigations into match-fixing, were ordered to be released by the Magistrate's Court.
They were remanded on Feb 15, following Sarawak's 2-3 defeat to Felcra FC in the Premier League match last Saturday, although the Sarawak team was leading 2-0 in the first-half. — Bernama