KUALA LUMPUR — The Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, has hit back at those labelling the local football industry a failure due to its struggles, pointing instead to poor management by individuals in certain teams as the root cause.
In a statement shared on JDT’s official social media platforms, Tunku Ismail argued that the real issue lies with individuals involved in local football, not the sport itself.
He also mentioned that the supporters of these individuals contribute to the ongoing problems that tarnish Malaysian football’s reputation.
Tunku Ismail did not specify any names but emphasised that JDT serves as an example of how Malaysian football is still progressing, pointing to the club’s remarkable growth and achievements over the past decade.
“It’s difficult to understand how some could consider Malaysian football to be a failure when Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT) have grown in strength to become the No.1 team in Southeast Asia and No. 6 in Asia based on the Opta Power Rankings.
“Malaysia too qualified for the Asian Cup for the first time in over 40 years,” said Tunku Ismail.
He also highlighted JDT’s contributions to the success of Malaysian football, noting that the club’s performance in Asia has been pivotal, contributing 68.7% of Malaysia’s Asia membership association ranking points since 2015.
This has enabled more Malaysian clubs to compete in Asian club competitions.
Furthermore, Tunku Ismail pointed out that JDT is the only Southeast Asian team to have won the AFC Cup in 2015 and has among the best football facilities, including medical facilities, in Asia.
“These are among the greatest achievements ever accomplished by any team in Malaysia or the Malaysian football industry,” he said.
“So how has Malaysian football failed when one team can be successful in Asia?”
He added that the issues facing the sport—such as unpaid salaries, lack of proper infrastructure, poor youth development, and management problems—are due to the mismanagement by certain individuals within local teams.
“Football has not failed, it is these individuals at various teams that have failed to manage and uplift standards, and also those that continue to support them instead of pressuring them that have failed,” Tunku Ismail added.
Instead of blaming the system or JDT, Tunku Ismail called for change at the team level, stressing the need for better-managed clubs, modern facilities, and robust youth development programmes to elevate standards across Malaysian football.
The decline in local support for Malaysian football, coupled with persistent issues such as unpaid salaries, disorganised league schedules, and fan altercations, has impacted both the national team and domestic clubs.
Also contributing to the frustration is the unresolved acid attack on Selangor striker Faisal Halim, with authorities still unable to identify the perpetrators more than six months after the incident. — November 17, 2024
