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FAM Following Closely The Riots In Thailand

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 (Bernama) -- The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is closely watching developments following the riots in Thailand which is scheduled to host the Asian Football Confederation's (AFF) Suzuki Cup beginning Saturday.

Thailand will host the Group B, which will also comprise Malaysia, Vietnam and Laos with the matches to be played at the Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, while Group A matches will be played at the Senayan Stadium, in Jakarta, involving Indonesia, Singapore, Myanmar and Cambodia.

"I personally contacted Football Association of Thailand (FAT) president Worawi Makudi yesterday to find out the actual situation in the country," FAM secretary-general Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad told reporters, here Wednesday.

He said Worawi confirmed that the situation was safe and under control currently for the tournament to be carried out according to schedule.

Yesterday, Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri advised Malaysians intending to go to Thailand to be careful and to follow current developments in that country.

Latest developments showed that the Suvarnabhumi International Airport had to be closed since Tuesday when thousands of supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) obstructed roads leading to the passengers' terminal forcing the cancellation of many flights including those involving Malaysia Airlines (MAS).

Azzuddin said it was the responsibility of Thailand, as the host, to guarantee the safety of the teams participating in the tournament.

He said if the situation was unsafe for the teams to take part in the tournament, the matter would be decided at the FAM Council meeting for further action.

He also confirmed that the AFF had yet to call for a meeting on the situation in Bangkok.

Azzuddin said that Malaysia was ready to host the tournament if requested to do so, but so far there had been no official offer.

Meanwhile, there is great pressure on national coach B.Sathianathan when FAM demanded for the best result from the national team at the Suzuki Cup.

The message was clearly conveyed by FAM deputy president Khairy Jamaluddin when he said that everything had been given by the national football parent body to the national squad.

"We have provided everthing such as expenses, adequate preparation, amended the Malaysia League match schedule and so on to the squad," he told reporters.

What the FAM wanted in return was the best result from the national squad, he pointed out.

The tournament is regarded as crucial to Sathianathan because the outcome is expected to determine his future as the national coach when his contract expires at the end of December.

-- BERNAMA

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