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Indonesia squabbling robs Malaysia of striker

Safee was halfway through a two-year contract with Pelita Jaya FC in the Indonesia Super League (ISL), which is not recognised by the All-Indonesia Football Association (PSSI), who notified the Malaysia Football Association (FAM) of the ban.

"We received a letter from PSSI (dated October 5) on Wednesday informing us of the status of the suspended clubs. Upon checking with the PSSI secretary, he told us that Safee's name was on the list," FAM secretary general Azzuddin Ahmad told the Malaysian Star on Friday.

"This is in line with a directive by FIFA that players and clubs in the illegal ISL will be barred from FIFA competitions and not allowed to play for their national teams.

"I won't know how long the ban is... but from what I gather the suspension is until PSSI hold their next congress in December," he said.

If Azzuddin is right, the ban would mean Safee would miss Malaysia's defence of the AFF Suzuki Cup, a hugely popular regional tournament for teams in Southeast Asia.

"The agreement is about uniting the leagues. The suspension of the ISL clubs is a separate issue that can only be resolved at the (PSSI) congress," Halim was quoted as saying by Indonesian media on Thursday.