The Malaysian football awards are back in 2006 after a lapse of almost a decade. The grand ceremony, conducted by the Football Association of Malaysia in association with Coca-Cola, will take place at a leading hotel in Kuala Lumpur on 14 September, just two days before the Malaysia Cup final. “It has been far too long since we last had these awards. From this point on, we must aspire to make it happen every year, not just for the footballers but also for the fans,” FAM general secretary, Datuk Seri Dr Ibrahim Saad, said.
He explained that unlike in the past, the coming awards will not be decided by a panel of officials. “For the first time, the awards will be decided by the fans. The fans follow the game religiously every week and they know the players well. This is why we decided they should be the ones to select recipients of the awards,” he added.
According to the Malay Mail (Malaysia), there will be 12 awards. With the exception of the top scorer award, fans will have the opportunity to vote via SMS for the awards. To vote for their favourite defender, team or referee, for example, fans must key in the correct id code followed by the name of the player, team or official and send the SMS to 39988. To ensure fans are aware of how to vote, the scoreboards and banners in stadiums will carry the necessary information. Leaflets will also be distributed to fans who purchase tickets.
He explained that unlike in the past, the coming awards will not be decided by a panel of officials. “For the first time, the awards will be decided by the fans. The fans follow the game religiously every week and they know the players well. This is why we decided they should be the ones to select recipients of the awards,” he added.
According to the Malay Mail (Malaysia), there will be 12 awards. With the exception of the top scorer award, fans will have the opportunity to vote via SMS for the awards. To vote for their favourite defender, team or referee, for example, fans must key in the correct id code followed by the name of the player, team or official and send the SMS to 39988. To ensure fans are aware of how to vote, the scoreboards and banners in stadiums will carry the necessary information. Leaflets will also be distributed to fans who purchase tickets.