In Malaysia he went to play for Melaka United, which was owned by both a private owner and the state. They each paid part of the players’ salaries, until the state stopped doing so and the owner had to pay everything out of his own pocket.
After five months, Baas no longer received a salary. “Eventually the owner pulled the plug and the club later went bankrupt,” says Baas. He later received his money through a lawsuit.
‘We arrest him on the field’
In 2025 he will play in Malaysia again, this time for the ‘newly’ founded club Melaka FC. The Malaysian government thought this was a restart of the old club, which had never paid income tax on Baas’ salary. As a result, Melaka FC was unable to arrange a work permit for Baas.
He therefore played his matches on a tourist visa, but the government immediately made it clear that this is prohibited. “They were watching me and told the club: ‘If Justin plays one more game, we will arrest him on the field.’ Then I decided not to play another second and leave.”
