MELAKA: Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he was willing to negotiate with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) following its plan to move to another country.

He said he was leaving it to AFC president Mohamad Hamman to arrange the meeting without putting pressure with excessive demands for the confederation to stay in Malaysia.

“They can discuss it with me and can ask for several privileges. We can consider it but don’t coerce with excessive demands,” he told reporters here on Wednesday.

“Malaysia had dignity and could not be coerced by the AFC such as by saying “give or we’ll leave,” he said when asked to comment on the AFC’s plan to relocate its office to another country if its list of demands were not met.

It was reported that demands include free interest loans and diplomatic status for its president.

Ismail said Malaysia also hosted the International Badminton Federation (IBF) and if all the AFC demands were met, the IBF might also request for the same status.

He said having the AFC in Malaysia brought benefits to the country.

Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Sultan Ahmad Shah said on Wednesday that the FAM would not object to the AFC’s intention to move out because it was its prerogative.

“However, they may have some hidden agenda in the desire to move to another country, that’s why they making various demands,” said Ismail.

The Asian football governing body set up operations in Malaysia over 40 years ago after leaving Hong Kong.

— Bernama