SOCCER IN MALAYSIA

Bukit Jalil National Stadium, where big soccer games are played

Soccer is arguably the most popular sports in Malaysia — a country of more than 30 million people — but at international level Malaysia are minnows — 154th in the FIFA rankings, a spot below tiny Andorra. It wasn’t always that way. Malaysia’s national team had some successes in the past, including qualification for the Moscow Olympics in 1980, although the country withdrew due to a boycott. The team also reached the Asian Cup in 1976 and 1980, competing among the region’s top sides.

In 2006, Malaysia was ranked 146th in the world in soccer, behind Seychelles, Antigua and Bangladesh. The rankings are a far cry from Malaysia's glory days in the 1970s and 1980s, when it qualified for the Olympics and was ranked ahead of current Asian powerhouses South Korea, China and Japan. [Source: Associated Press, July 18, 2006]

The quality of Malaysian club soccer is very low. Monthly wages for players were as low as US$500 in the 2000s. English Premier League clubs such as Manchester United and Chelsea have played friendly’s against Malaysian teams before sell-out crowds in packed stadiums.

Using Foreign-Born Players to Improve Malaysia’s Soccer Team Fails

A push to improve Malaysia’s national soccer team through the naturalisation of foreign-born players has stalled, with critics saying the approach has not delivered the expected progress and has instead prompted wider concerns about the sport’s development. [Source: Sam Reeves, Nicolas Anil, AFP, April 4, 2022]

In July 2006, a vice president of Malaysia’s soccer association said Malaysia could qualify for the World Cup finals if the government offers citizenship to talented foreign players. The programme was introduced in 2018 as Malaysia aimed to strengthen its squad ahead of qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Several overseas-born players were granted citizenship and brought into the national team. However, after Malaysia again failed to qualify, the initiative was suspended in August. Existing naturalised players remain eligible to represent the country, but no new naturalisations are expected in the near term.

Malaysian national soccer team in 2026 with a bunch of foreign-born players

Former national player Santokh Singh, who represented Malaysia in the 1970s and 1980s, argued that attention should return to domestic talent development. “We’ve got so many good local players who are capable of performing better than the foreigners... they are not getting a chance to play,” the 69-year-old told AFP. “Naturalisation of players is stupid.”

Malaysia is among several countries that have used naturalisation to strengthen national teams, alongside others such as China, Japan, Mexico, and Spain, with Brazilian-born players often among the most commonly recruited. The practice has also drawn criticism internationally, including concerns about teams relying on players with limited ties to the countries they represent. In 2007, then-FIFA president Sepp Blatter warned about “invaders from Brazil” in national squads, and eligibility rules were later tightened to require at least five years of residency for players without ancestral links.

In Malaysia, Gambia-born Mohamadou Sumareh became the first player to be naturalised under the programme and made his debut for the national team in 2018. He had previously played in Malaysia’s domestic league from 2013 and later featured for Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), a dominant club in the Super League. He was followed by other naturalised players including Liridon Krasniqi, born in the former Yugoslavia, and Brazil-born Guilherme de Paula. In addition, some players with Malaysian parentage and overseas upbringing have also returned to represent the national side.

The project came under intensified scrutiny after defeats to Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates in World Cup qualifying matches, which ended Malaysia’s hopes of reaching Qatar. The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) subsequently announced a pause in the programme. Its secretary-general, Mohamad Saifuddin Abu Bakar, said the body would “conduct further studies into several aspects of the programme,” according to AFP.

Some analysts argue that the issue extends beyond player selection policy. Steve Darby, a coach and consultant with experience working in several Asian countries including Malaysia, said broader structural weaknesses need attention. “I think there are more important structural issues to bring long-term success,” he told AFP, adding: “Improve training facilities and also stadium pitches.”

Despite criticism, some figures in Malaysian football defend the use of naturalised players as part of a wider development strategy. Former national coach B. Sathiananthan, who led the team from 2007 to 2009, said coaches often operate under short-term pressure. “If you are given a two-year contract, do you think you can wait for local players to hit form?” he said.

Match Fixing Allegations and Death Threats in Malaysian Soccer

There are a number of allegations of match-fixing in Malaysia. In May 2013, AFP reported: “Malaysian football authorities have promised to investigate claims of match-fixing and urged police to protect players amid death threats from bookies, reports said. Fears of match-rigging surfaced especially during the recent second-tier Malaysian Premier League match between Kuala Lumpur and Sime Darby. Angry fans waved banners with slogans such as "Bookie detected" and "Bookie 5 - Fans 0", at the start of the match. The final result was a shock because Sime Darby won 5-0. [Source: AFP, May 22, 2013]

Malay-language daily Harian Metro said Tuesday that several players are living in fear after receiving death threats from bookies for ignoring their instructions. "We have to look into this allegation of match-fixing seriously," Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) deputy president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah was quoted as saying by The Star newspaper Wednesday. "The police need to keep a close eye regarding the (death) threats," he added. FAM officials could not be reached by AFP for comment. FAM officials, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and appointed sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin have met to discuss the match-fixing menace. Aseh Che Mat, FAM's integrity committee chairman, urged players immediately to report any death threats to police.

Allegations of match-fixing have long tainted football in Malaysia. In 2012, FAM suspended 18 youth players and banned a coach for life for fixing matches. Back in 1994, 21 players and coaches were sacked, 58 players were suspended and 126 players questioned over corruption. In early 2013 year it was revealed that hundreds of games worldwide, including in China and Lebanon, were being targeted by Asian-linked gangs. According to Europol, 380 suspicious games have been identified in Europe and the European police agency linked the problem to a criminal syndicate based in Singapore, which borders Malaysia. Interpol secretary-general Ronald Noble recently said match-fixing generates hundreds of billions of dollars each year.

Malaysian Goalie Cleared of Match-Fixing: He Just Made a Bad Play

In September 2012. Malaysian international goalkeeper Sharbinee Allawee was cleared of match-fixing allegations after passing a lie-detector test, the country's anti-corruption watchdog has said. AFP reported: The Terengganu keeper was questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) after he clawed a high ball from a corner into his own net in a 1-1 Malaysia Cup draw with Kedah on September 1. Terengganu's English coach Peter Butler, a former West Ham United midfielder, substituted Sharbinee after the flub and was seen angrily berating the 25-year-old and shoving him off the field. [Source: Agence France Presse, September 20, 2012]

The anti-corruption agency launched a probe following media reports that the match may have been fixed. Sharbinee has denied wrongdoing, and welcomed the investigation as a way to clear his name. Mohamad Yusoff Mohamad Zin, Terengganu director for the MACC, said investigations determined Sharbinee was not involved in any corrupt activities, citing evidence from witnesses and the polygraph test. "The polygraph test revealed no significant reaction that could be linked to corrupt practices as alleged," the MACC official said in a statement on Tuesday.

However, Terengganu FA fined Sharbinee 1,000 ringgit ($327) for throwing a water bottle at Butler after being pulled. But Butler has faced even stiffer sanctions from the club. The team on Monday imposed a one-month 15-percent cut in salary on Butler for shoving Sharbinee. Butler has also been suspended for six months and fined 4,000 ringgit for airing alleged disciplinary problems at the club. He has claimed that two other players brought female guests to their hotel rooms — one of the players is married, according to media reports — but a probe revealed there was no evidence to back the allegation.

Malaysian Coaches Charged with Match-Fixing

In June 2011, Associated Press reported: “Malaysian authorities have charged a second soccer coach in a widening scandal over match-fixing at a domestic youth tournament. Sufiah Ngah is the third suspect to be charged this month amid intensified efforts to combat sports corruption. The Star newspaper reported Thursday that Sufiah, 41, pleaded not guilty at a district court with giving bribes totaling 5,000 ringgit ($1,649) to six members of his team in northeastern Terengganu state while competing in Malaysia's President's Cup for under-20 players last year. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine if convicted. Coach Yusarman Yusof was charged on June 6 with allegedly paying bribes totaling nearly 25,000 ringgit ($8,000) to 11 players of his team in southern Negri Sembilan state competing at the President's Cup. A Singaporean man this week became the second suspect charged after it was alleged he paid bribes totaling 1,200 ringgit ($400) to four players. [Source: AP, June 15, 2011]

In August, 2006 AFP reported: “The former coach of Malaysia’s national soccer team was charged with match-fixing by a Singapore court. Kwai Lam, 63, faces a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, a $63,400 fine, or both if convicted of offering money to one of his players to help fix a game in Singapore’s S League in 2005, according to his court charge sheet. Chow’s bail included a surety of $10,000 to allow him to leave the court’s jurisdiction, a court official said. He is scheduled to appear for a pretrial conference on August 24. The charge sheet said Chow, while coach of Singapore’s Paya Lebar Punggol club, offered $125 to $190, plus “a further unspecified amount of cash,” to his goalkeeper Zulkifli Zainolabidin to allow a few goals by the opposing team. [Source: AFP, August 17, 2006]

Israeli Soccer Player Subjected to 'Antisemitic' Abuse in Malaysia

In July 2011, The Guardian reported: “Chelsea have lodged a formal complaint with the Malaysian Football Association alleging that the club's Israel midfielder Yossi Benayoun was the subject of antisemitic abuse during a friendly in Kuala Lumpur. Large sections of the 84,980 crowd at the Bukit Jalil national stadium booed and jeered Benayoun's every touch in Chelsea's 1-0 victory over a Malaysian XI. The 30-year-old, one of the first Israelis to play in the country, did not complain at the time and was substituted at the interval along with all the starting XI. Malaysia, which is 60 percent Muslim and strongly supports the Palestinian people, does not recognise Israel and maintains no diplomatic ties with the state.[Source: The Guardian, July 28, 2011]

“Chelsea had initially been uncertain whether the abuse was antisemitic, with Benayoun having committed a foul early in the game which might have provoked some level of reaction among the crowd. They had therefore not pursued the matter immediately after the game. The Israeli's team-mate José Bosingwa, a Portugal international, was also jeered following a bad tackle later in the first half.

“But, having since conducted inquiries into the nature of the chants, Chelsea have determined that the abuse was antisemitic and have written in complaint to the Malaysian FA. "Notwithstanding most fans behaving appropriately on the night, we believe Yossi was subjected to antisemitic abuse by a number of supporters at the game," a spokesman said. "Such behaviour is offensive, totally unacceptable and has no place in football. "The club did not make representations at the time as it was initially unclear as to the nature of the abuse Yossi received, as several players from both teams experienced similar treatment, sometimes louder and longer. However, having taken time to consider the issue fully, it has become apparent that a formal complaint was necessary.

"Our stay in Malaysia was on the whole a very positive experience for all the team on the tour. It is a shame, therefore, that the behaviour of a minority of supporters is also a memory we take away." The former Malaysian FA official Peter Velappan, who was once a general secretary of the Asian Football Confederation, was quoted last week admitting the abuse was regrettable, if hard to prevent. "It is of course unsporting," he said. "This is quite rampant in many of the European countries ... [but] especially in [multiracial] Malaysia we are supposed to set an example."

Earlier AFP reported: Malaysia “is standing by its decision to allow the Israeli coach and player from English Premier League side Chelsea into the country, a report said, despite planned protests by Muslims. Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar, whose ministry oversees visas for foreigners, said coach Avram Grant and defender Tal Ben Haim will be allowed into Malaysia in July despite warnings of demonstrations by Muslim groups. [Source: AFP, April 28, 2008]

According to the Jerusalem Post, “Malaysia has a policy of not issuing visas to Israelis. It has no diplomatic ties with Israel and Israeli citizens require special permission to visit. Chelsea had indicated it may have to abandon the Malaysian leg of its tour if the two men were not allowed into the country. Syed Hamid said the government does not consider the visit by Chelsea's Israelis' as a threat, stressing that the issue should not be politicized. Some Malaysian Muslim activists have warned they might stage demonstrations if the government allows the visit. "We have not recognized Israel [diplomatically] as it does not fulfill its international obligations," Syed Hamid was quoted as saying by Bernama. "But in sports, we can allow their athletes in. I'm a Chelsea supporter too." Malaysia allowed Israel to play in an international cricket tournament in 1997, but it led to demonstrations by Muslim groups. [Source: Jerusalem Post, April 28, 2008]

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings; 1993; New York Times; Washington Post; Los Angeles Times; Smithsonian magazine; Encyclopedia.com; National Geographic; Live Science; Malaysia Tourism websites; Malaysia government websites; UNESCO; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Natural History magazine; Times of London; Library of Congress; The Conversation; The New Yorker; Time; BBC; CNN; Reuters; Associated Press; AFP; Lonely Planet Guides; Google AI; Wikipedia; The Guardian and various websites; books and other publications.

Last updated May 2026