Players from Johor Darul Ta’zim Football Club (JDT FC) are often in the media spotlight as the club are lined up by the country’s star players and local top scorers. The football team is owned by Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim (or TMJ) and they have achieved multiple monumental successes throughout the years.
However, due to the number of star players in the team, each athlete has to showcase their best performance to ensure their spot on the field during the tournament. Probably feeling under-selected to play on the field lately, one of JDT players, Syafiq Ahmad has uploaded a tweet that unknowingly sparked a slight controversy.
During JDT’s match against PJ City team on Saturday (21st August), 26-year-old Syafiq Ahmad tweeted “It’s fun to watch my fellow comrades play” without realising that the brief statement sounded a bit unprofessional. The striker of the team expressed his desire to compete again after always being kept on the sidelines.
The tweet has prompted JDT’s owner, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim/ TMJ to reprimand the athlete’s remarks via his Instagram Story. According to TMJ, JDT is a football club and all players have to work hard to gain a place to perform. TMJ also stressed that if the player has any dissatisfaction against the contract formulated by the management, they are free to go to another team that benefits them.
“You can go and join PJ City Fc. You can join every match. In JDT, whoever works hard in training and excels, the spot is theirs. Whoever wants a challenge in their career and championship, come and join JDT. All the choices are in the hands of the players,” TMJ’s lengthy IG story read.
Syafiq who realised his mistake quickly uploaded a public apology to TMJ and the football team through his Instagram Story. Syafiq has come forward to apologise to his teammates, JDT club and especially to TMJ for his remarks. The athlete also noted in his apology that he is aware of the fact that JDT and TMJ have helped him to regain his footing both on and off the field. The crown prince of Johor has responded to his apology stating that, “Next time think before you act. We are gentlemen.”
For the uninitiated, Syafiq Ahmad has been with JDT for almost 4 years. At the end of last year, the player was involved in an accident that resulted in the death of his son, mother-in-law and his maid. In February 2021, Syafiq made a comeback with JDT with a new spirit after the dark episode that befell his family.
In related news, Tunku Ismail will meet up with Johor’s Director of Education and the 779 teachers who refused to receive the Covid-19 vaccine to find a solution to the issue. Tunku Ismail through his tweets mentioned that the meeting will be held in the near future.
“Our priority is to overcome this pandemic as soon as possible so that the people and the state can return and resume life as usual. InsyaAllah, we can solve this problem in a prudent manner,” he said in the tweet. Tunku Ismail made the remark after a netizen shared a Harian Metro news report that 779 teachers in Johor refused to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
Johor’s Education, Information, Heritage and Culture Chairman, Mazlan Bujang in his statement informed that the Johor State Education Department will help provide relevant information on the benefits of the vaccine so that the teachers involved will receive their vaccination.
Sources: Oh!Media, Harian Metro
