<TABLE id=msgUN cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD id=msgUNsubj vAlign=top>
Coffeeshop Chit Chat - FT traitor allowed back into S'pore?</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
Subscribe </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF noWrap align=right width="1%">From: </TD><TD class=msgFname noWrap width="68%">papsamleong <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate noWrap align=right width="30%">Mar-12 5:52 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT noWrap align=right width="1%" height=20>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname noWrap width="68%">ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 9) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%" rowSpan=4> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>9038.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Home > Breaking News > Singapore > Story
</TD></TR><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD>March 13, 2009
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : start --></TD></TR><TR><TD>Life ban on Abbas lifted <!--10 min-->
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Jonathan Wong
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- show image if available --></TD></TR><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
</TD><TD vAlign=bottom>
'This is the happiest day of my life. It's been like an albatross around my neck all these years.' ABBAS SAAD
-- ST FILE PHOTO
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"-->IT HAS been more than 10 years since Abbas Saad, now 41, kicked a football competitively here.
Abbas, for those too young to remember, was banned from any soccer-related activity here by the Football Association of Singapore in 1995.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story -->Abbas' highs/lows
1991 Played for Double-winning Johor team.
1994 Part of Singapore team that clinched Malaysian League and Cup Double.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Convicted of helping teammate Michal Vana to fix results in the Malaysian Premier League competition, Abbas was fined $50,000.
The FAS subsequently imposed a life ban on Abbas from all football activities in Singapore.
The ban was extended world-wide by Fifa, but it was lifted after a year, though the Singapore ban remained.
Shortly after, he decided to leave Singapore and return home to Australia, where he resumed his playing career.
Yesterday, the FAS lifted the ban after appeals from the Lebanon-born Abbas.
The FAS said that it took into account the following factors:
The circumstances, including the nature and extent, of the violation;
The punishment meted out by the Court; That Abbas' involvement in the criminal conspiracy arose from his agreement with Vana to score goals for Singapore. He did not benefit in monetary terms and was considered by the Court to have played a minimal role in the criminal conspiracy. He pulled out from the arrangement after three games.
Let me add more on what the full report in Shit Times said.....
1) to begin, the news was in a small section of the front page right hand corner. and it ended with a page link given as "See Sport, Page B10". It's incorrect, It's C10. So much for the Editor's diligence.
2) The FAS announced yesterday that it was lifting the ban with immediate effect but stressed that it still took[sic] a serious view of corruption in the game.
3) An overjoyed Abbas said he was keen to return to Singapore and contribute to the development of football here.
4) Said the FAS' Lee: Throughout our conversations with Abbas, he has constantly spoken of giving back to Singapore football.
Since his ban, he has had a good track record of developing youth football in Australia. We would be pleased to explore this possibility with him at an opportune time in the future."
5) The glare of Singapore's bright lights never left him during his ban. He came back as a partner in two now- defunct nightclubs, Hot Bods and Dancers-The Club.
Okay, this my take on the matter.
If it had been a Singaporeon footballer who was served a life ban, would he be given the same chance and have the chief of FAS calling him with the good news?
A foreigner who was fined $50,000 and a life ban from playing competitive football in Singapore for selling out, being a traitor to the country who had given him hospitality and a chance to earn decent wages is allowed back as a visitor and as an investor in entertainment business will be allowed back again to be a coach and possibly PRship?
What does all this say to the citizens of Singapore?
A slap in the face by the government again?
White are treated differently? Why? Whites are more superior? Abbas though is of Lebanese descent.
Who is selling out?
One more thing! I bet there is a high level lawyer behind the lobbying to get Abbas rehabilitated into Singapore society!
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD></TR><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD>March 13, 2009
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : start --></TD></TR><TR><TD>Life ban on Abbas lifted <!--10 min-->
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Jonathan Wong
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- show image if available --></TD></TR><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
'This is the happiest day of my life. It's been like an albatross around my neck all these years.' ABBAS SAAD
-- ST FILE PHOTO
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"-->IT HAS been more than 10 years since Abbas Saad, now 41, kicked a football competitively here.
Abbas, for those too young to remember, was banned from any soccer-related activity here by the Football Association of Singapore in 1995.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story -->Abbas' highs/lows
1991 Played for Double-winning Johor team.
1994 Part of Singapore team that clinched Malaysian League and Cup Double.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Convicted of helping teammate Michal Vana to fix results in the Malaysian Premier League competition, Abbas was fined $50,000.
The FAS subsequently imposed a life ban on Abbas from all football activities in Singapore.
The ban was extended world-wide by Fifa, but it was lifted after a year, though the Singapore ban remained.
Shortly after, he decided to leave Singapore and return home to Australia, where he resumed his playing career.
Yesterday, the FAS lifted the ban after appeals from the Lebanon-born Abbas.
The FAS said that it took into account the following factors:
The circumstances, including the nature and extent, of the violation;
The punishment meted out by the Court; That Abbas' involvement in the criminal conspiracy arose from his agreement with Vana to score goals for Singapore. He did not benefit in monetary terms and was considered by the Court to have played a minimal role in the criminal conspiracy. He pulled out from the arrangement after three games.
Let me add more on what the full report in Shit Times said.....
1) to begin, the news was in a small section of the front page right hand corner. and it ended with a page link given as "See Sport, Page B10". It's incorrect, It's C10. So much for the Editor's diligence.
2) The FAS announced yesterday that it was lifting the ban with immediate effect but stressed that it still took[sic] a serious view of corruption in the game.
3) An overjoyed Abbas said he was keen to return to Singapore and contribute to the development of football here.
4) Said the FAS' Lee: Throughout our conversations with Abbas, he has constantly spoken of giving back to Singapore football.
Since his ban, he has had a good track record of developing youth football in Australia. We would be pleased to explore this possibility with him at an opportune time in the future."
5) The glare of Singapore's bright lights never left him during his ban. He came back as a partner in two now- defunct nightclubs, Hot Bods and Dancers-The Club.
Okay, this my take on the matter.
If it had been a Singaporeon footballer who was served a life ban, would he be given the same chance and have the chief of FAS calling him with the good news?
A foreigner who was fined $50,000 and a life ban from playing competitive football in Singapore for selling out, being a traitor to the country who had given him hospitality and a chance to earn decent wages is allowed back as a visitor and as an investor in entertainment business will be allowed back again to be a coach and possibly PRship?
What does all this say to the citizens of Singapore?
A slap in the face by the government again?
White are treated differently? Why? Whites are more superior? Abbas though is of Lebanese descent.
Who is selling out?
One more thing! I bet there is a high level lawyer behind the lobbying to get Abbas rehabilitated into Singapore society!
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
