Penang FA president Zairil Khir Johari has publicly slammed the actions of several Penang FA fans who went berserk at the Batu Kawan Stadium, after their MSL match against Sarawak last night.
The Panthers suffered a 0-1 defeat, which was also their fourth consecutive defeat of the season. Fans were visibly at the result, but a section of them opted to take matters into their own hand by lighting flares, besides causing damage to facilities within the stadium.
“Football Association of Penang (FAP) is shocked and disappointed with the violent actions of several individuals who wreaked havoc at the Batu Kawan Stadium last night. In fact, some of them even lit flares despite knowing that it’s a huge offence in any Malaysian football game,” Zairil said, via a statement on Penang FA’s Facebook page.
“We will be taking necessary steps to ensure this incident doesn’t repeat again. At the same time, we’d like to thank all the officials on duty last night, especially the police, for successfully controlling the situation. We realise that the real Penang football fans are the ones who love the team, regardless of circumstances. They won’t turn violent or do anything that could potentially harm others.
“To the loyal Penang fans, we thank you for your support. Keep supporting us as we push to improve the team’s fortunes,” he concluded.
Zairil’s statement isn’t likely to go down too well with the Penang fans, who have already voiced their concerns over his leadership. Last week, over a 100 hundred Penang fans, led by Ultra Panthers fan club leader, Zamzuri Ibrahim, staged a protest against the Bukit Bendera MP, claiming that he’s ‘unfit’ to lead the state football team.
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