SINGAPORE – Gratitude, relief and cautionary messages are what former national footballers Abdul Malek Mohammad and Zulkifli Kartoyoho have to share after their lifetime bans from football activities were rescinded following successful appeals.
On Dec 21, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced that its council has lifted the suspensions on former Lions goalkeeper Abdul Malek and midfielder Zulkifli, as well as ex-Balestier Central defender Manap Hamat and former Singapore pre-Olympic reserve goalkeeper Mizan Ulot.
The quartet had received their life bans at various points from 1995 to 1998.
In 1997, Abdul Malek and Manap were convicted after accepting money to fix matches while playing for Balestier in the previous year. Manap was given a 20-week jail term and fined $12,000, while Abdul Malek was handed three weeks’ jail and a $6,000 fine.
Zulkifli was not convicted, but received a life ban in 1998 after admitting that he had taken bribes.
Mizan was jailed for eight months and fined $100 in 1995 for accepting money from a bookie to fix matches involving his teams Changi United and Brazilian Boys Team in 1994.
Abdul Malek, who won a SEA Games silver medal in 1989 and two bronzes from the 1991 and 1993 Games, thanked his lawyer Abdul Rohim Sarip and FAS president Bernard Tan for their assistance, and friends for their support.
The 57-year-old, who now works in limousine services, told The Straits Times: “I just wanted to clear my name from the list, and so I made the appeal with Manap in 2022. I’m relieved the appeal is successful and I can start playing organised veterans’ football again.
“Definitely, I have regrets. I lost everything. I have been playing football from young and I lost the opportunity to play the sport I love so much, and I lost precious time. I had to find work from scratch and I’m lucky I have a job now.
“Hopefully, young footballers can learn from my mistake and not get involved in anything that is against the law and brings the game into disrepute.”
Zulkifli, who was also part of the 1991 team who won SEA Games bronze, expressed remorse too.
The 59-year-old, who is now in the construction line, thanked Balestier chairman S. Thavaneson for helping with his appeal letter.
He said: “I’m happy this is behind me now. I definitely regret what I did because it was wrong and it cut short my football career.
“Over the years, I have had many friends ask me to appeal for the ban to be lifted because they felt I could still impart my knowledge and experience.
“Now that this is done, I’ll try to help and contribute to Singapore football again if the right opportunity comes along.”
In assessing the appeals by the four men, the FAS Council, which is authorised to review such matters and has the power to revoke lifetime bans, adhered to the FAS Constitution while considering the circumstances of the violation and the punishment meted out by the court.
In its statement, the FAS said that its council noted that “each individual had already served over 25 years of suspension, in addition to their respective court-imposed sentences such as serving their jail terms. The four individuals have also kept clean records since”.
Tan said: “The FAS believes in the principles of fairness, justice and the opportunity for redemption.
“This compassionate decision reflects our commitment to balancing punitive measures with a belief in the potential for rehabilitation, while reaffirming that our stance against match-fixing remains unwavering.”
In 2022, then FAS president, the late Lim Kia Tong, had also announced the lifting of a life ban on former Singapore striker K. Kannan, who was sanctioned in 1995 after being convicted of conspiring to bribe a Singapore player ahead of a Malaysian league match against Perlis in 1994.
