Khairy: Stern action will be taken against bookies

Stern action will be taken against those involved in match-fixing of football games in the country, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar said.

The minister said he would convene a meeting with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) soon to get their points of view on the matter in a bid to curb the activity.

"I will meet with FAM to find out what they will do and I will also meet with the Royal Malaysian Police to discuss efforts to tackle the issue," he said in response to the allegation that there were bookies involved in fixing the Perdana League match between Kuala Lumpur and Sime Darby FC at Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras yesterday.

The allegation had also become the hot topic of discussions on social media, including Facebook and Twitter.

Khairy was met after watching the Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts (MIMMA) Championship semifinals in Kelana Jaya here today.

The minister said such a corruption must be stopped as it could destroy the sports industry.

"I view this (bookie) issue very seriously because I have once served as FAM deputy president and I can see that this issue is still haunting the industry and local football teams.

"For me, the bookie's existence will only cause bribery to become rampant among football players and officers," he said.