Malaysia put aside off-pitch issues in hunt for Asean Championship win over Singapore

BUKIT JALIL – For a couple of years, Malaysian football looked set for a renaissance.

Boosted by a glut of naturalised players, charismatic South Korean coach Kim Pan-gon instilled a swashbuckling style of play as the Tigers reached the 2022 Asean Championship semi-finals and qualified for the 2023 Asian Cup, where they held South Korea to a 3-3 draw for their first point since 1980.

Their world ranking improved from 154th to 130th, and they looked poised for bigger achievements, even though Kim abruptly resigned in July, citing personal commitments.

However, Harimau Malaya’s rise could be derailed by off-the-pitch issues. In recent years, the financial plight of some Malaysia Super League (MSL) clubs has made the headlines, as the privatisation of the league and its teams has not quite had the positive effect it was mooted to bring since the process started in 2015.

Former Perak FC chief executive officer Yunus Zakariah told The New Straits Times: “Many clubs only know how to spend recklessly, which is why they end up with nothing, leading to unpaid salaries. If they don’t change, some clubs might ‘die off’.”

Almost a decade on, clubs like Perlis, Melaka United, Sarawak United and Kelantan have either folded or were expelled due to financial mismanagement, while others struggle with salary arrears as they hand out bumper contracts with monthly wages of over RM100,000 (S$30,200).

Clubs are also burdened by rules allowing them to sign up to 10 imports, fielding a maximum of six. They are also required to have an Under-23 Reserve League team, Youth Cup team and President’s Cup team in order to get a playing licence.

As the teams move away from a state-funded model to one relying on corporate sponsorship, it seems only Johor Darul Takzim and Selangor are operating smoothly, while other illustrious sides like Kedah and Kuala Lumpur City are struggling.

It is not uncommon to hear of unpaid salaries over the years, with 262 cases filed against teams in 2019 and the trend has continued.

On Sept 14, Kedah’s first-team players went on strike to protest against unpaid wages. The club had to field their U-23s for their MSL match against KL City, which they lost 5-0.

In October, the former owner of Kuantan FA and Marcerra United was arrested for defying a court order to pay RM1.4 million in wage arrears to 46 players and 12 officials dating back to 2018.

Malaysian sports commentator Dr Pekan Ramli called the situation “a full-blown epidemic”. He told NST: “The list of financially stable teams is shrinking... it’s a systemic failure that could see more iconic teams vanish from the footballing landscape.”

He said existing regulations are suffocating clubs, who are burdened with unattainable requirements, adding that there is a need for a revised structure that alleviates financial pressure and promotes local talent, instead of prioritising expensive foreign players.

The Tigers have also had to contend with administrative issues, as the second round of MSL fixtures were announced only in November and there were domestic matches that clashed with the Asean Championship.

As the biennial tournament is not held in a Fifa international window, clubs are not obliged to release players. Some players had to fulfil club commitments despite being called up to the national squad, resulting in them missing the 3-2 comeback win over minnows Timor-Leste on Dec 11 and the 1-0 loss to Thailand three days later.

While Pau Marti Vicente has taken over from Kim on a caretaker basis, the Football Association of Malaysia announced on Dec 16 that Australian Peter Cklamovski would become the permanent coach after their Asean Championship campaign, leaving the Spaniard baffled.

Vicente told The Straits Times: “This was a bit weird to me. I don’t know how this is beneficial for anyone to introduce the new coach while we are still here.

“We have also missed a few players during this period, and today (Dec 19) is the only session where we will have everyone.

“But we cannot change or control these. We must focus on getting the best out of our players and make a good plan to beat Singapore.”

Despite the turbulent times, the players have done admirably to stay in contention, although they must defeat the Lions at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on Dec 20 to progress to the semi-finals.

Malaysia defender Dominic Tan, who was born in Singapore, told ST: “We are professionals, and whatever financial issues that are going on shouldn’t affect the way we perform on the field.”

The 27-year-old, who attended Ai Tong School and the Singapore Sports School, lived in Bishan for 16 years and is good friends with Lions defender Lionel Tan, added: “It’s a very important match for both teams and we will see the strong rivalry between both countries tomorrow.”