THERE is no guarantee that the national football league will be allowed to resume once Putrajaya lifts its movement control order (MCO), said Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said the National Security Council is preparing a post-MCO standard operating procedure (SOP).

“Football is not like badminton where there is a gap between two players. The SOP does not allow people to gather in one place. There are 22 football players on the field and we cannot allow that,” Ismail Sabri said.

“The NSC is drafting a new post-MCO SOP. When will the MCO lifted? That will be known later after a thorough study.

“But even when the restriction order is lifted, the public still cannot gather in public places as before,” he said.

On Wednesday, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and Malaysian Football League (MFL) said they were ready to resume the Malaysia League (M-League) once the MCO is lifted.

FAM secretary-general Stuart Ramalingam had said the national governing body and MFL already had a thorough plan in place for all tournaments under FAM, including the Youth Cup and President’s Cup, which have been suspended since March 16.

He said FAM and MFL would also implement new SOPs that all teams must comply with, including making it compulsory for players and officials to undergo Covid-19 screenings in a bid to reduce the risk of infection.

FAM and MFL postponed all M-League matches and football activities in the country from March 16 following the pandemic. Teams were also not allowed to hold any training sessions or friendly matches during the MCO period.

Malaysia imposed the MCO on March 18.

Since then, several areas in the country have also been put under an enhanced movement control order (EMCO).

Six areas in the country are now under EMCO. – April 25, 2020.