Malaysia calls for better management of local football clubs
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Malaysia fans inside the stadium before the Asian Cup match against South Korea.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s sports minister has called for the country’s football clubs to be managed by parties with genuine financial and managerial skills to boost investments in the domestic league and safeguard player welfare, state media reported on May 6.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said that the failure of some domestic clubs to manage fundamental responsibilities, such as paying salaries, has likely undermined efforts to attract and retain sponsors to support Malaysia’s football development, state news agency Bernama reported.
“Football has a large audience, which is why I believe that to convince sponsors, all they want to see is how a club is run, how they pay salaries or look after the welfare of players,” she was quoted as saying.
“I urge that those who are not capable should not touch it, let others take over. Sometimes, there are those who cannot manage but still want to hold on to power, preventing others from stepping in.”
Malaysian football has suffered financial hardships in recent years, leading to some clubs being penalised, relegated or withdrawing from the league. The Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia has said many professional clubs struggle to pay salaries on time.
In April, Ms Yeoh urged Malaysian football authorities to undertake a sweeping overhaul of the sport’s ecosystem, and emphasised that comprehensive solutions rather than piecemeal fixes were required to address problems.
She said the governing body of the Malaysian Football League must hold discussions with stakeholders to ensure a more structured and sustainable league moving forward.
Not all is negative, however.
The minister also said that Malaysia Super League giants Johor Darul Takzim (JDT), who have won the last 11 titles, are an example of a team who should serve as a benchmark for others, and she told Bernama that she did not see the Southern Tigers’ dominance as diminishing the competitive nature of the league.
“I don’t think you can fault JDT for being good. You should be working towards matching their standard, rather than saying, ‘Because you’re too good, I’ll boycott, and I don’t want to play’. I think it doesn’t make sense,” she said.
“To me, JDT are raising the standard of football, a club in Malaysia, and that’s a good thing. (Other teams should) find a way to become great competitors to JDT, that should be their goal, rather than saying, ‘Because I can never be as good as JDT, I don’t want to play’. That’s not sportsmanship.” REUTERS
