STOP MAKING POPULAR DECISIONS

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By Tony Mariadass

Shape up or ship out

The 2020 M-league begins this week – 36 years since Malaysian football had gone professional – and what should have emerged as high flying League, it is still learning to walk.

Football in the country has been played competitively since 1921, with a transition to semi-professionalism in 1989 before going professional in 1994.

In the wake of what another season is going to be riddled with more woes, the bright spark was Johor Darul Ta’zim continuous move forward in the game with the latest being owning their own world class stadium – The Sultan Ibrahim Stadium – which was officially opened on Saturday.

The RM200 million, 35,000 capacity state of art stadium which began construction in 2016, owned by JDT, only underlines what can be achieved if football clubs in Malaysia are managed professionally with heart and soul for the love of the game and not with personal agendas or gains.

JDT since its inception in 2013 besides becoming the lead team in Malaysia and making waves at the Asian club level, have shown what professional football is all about in this short period of seven years.

Teams in Malaysia who have a longer history are still trying to find their footing and riddled with problems from financial, management, forming a formidable team, running foul with income tax, employment provident fund, overdue salaries and the list goes on.

Many will be quick to say that JDT has royal backing who have the clout to garner funds and move things forward.

Question is how many who have the means in the various States or from the clubs, have done anything close to what the Johor Regent Tunku Mahkota Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim has done?

It is no secret that many football officials have used their office as their own platform to elevate themselves at the expense of football in their own state or their club suffering.

A majority of the teams are still depending on funds from the Malaysian Football League (MFL) to manage their team and cry foul when funds are reduced because funds sourced by MFL is affected because of current economic situations or other factors.

Teams have no sustaining power to manage their teams effectively over a long term period and have not done much improve their financial situation with a more business like running approach of their football teams.

Yes, the FA of Malaysia have tried many ways to uplift the game in the country which included the League managed privately by Football Malaysia Limited Liability Partnership (FMLPP) and now MFL, but things can definitely better if the teams themselves play a bigger role to manage their team better.

Mistakes too have also occurred by the appointment of MP & Silva, a leading international sports agency, by the FA of Malaysia (FAM) as their global adviser on media and commercial rights, with the goal of extending its broadcast reach and maximising the commercial potential of its properties for 15 years but went array.

The changes to the M-League format, the composition of teams and even the rules from time to time, also has not helped the profile of the League.

Now with the FA of Malaysia president Datuk Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin doubling up as to helm the MFL, all eyes will be on him how he can turn things around.

Hamidin is passionate of the game who wants the best for it and will definitely be trying his level best to leave behind a proud legacy to turn around the M-League.

But Hamidin, who replaced Tunku Ismail, who was the chairman since March 2018, alone or with newly appointed MFL chief executive officer Datuk Ghani Ab Hassan, cannot on their own turn things around.

Odds will be stacked against Hamidin as even Tunku Ismail tried his level best to elevate the status of the M-League, but decided to give up and concentrate JDT when his approach was not met with an earnest effort by the members. Members just cannot be waiting for hand-outs.

It is also about time for FA of Malaysia and MFL to stop making popular decisions to please their members and gain brownie points, but make hard decisions in the interest of the game in the country and to take it to a higher pedestal.

It is time to stop mollycoddling the affiliates and clubs and be stern and firm. Stop patronising some officials in FA of Malaysia or States and all officials alike. Stop granting favours in making decisions which benefit these members. Be fair to all.

Above all the time has come to be strict with teams wanting to compete in the M-League. 

The Super League must be for teams which meet the criteria of a professional side. Those who do not meet the criteria can continue to play in the Premier League as amateurs.

It is time for FA of Malaysia and MFL to be cruel to be kind, like it or not.

 If only eight teams meet all the requirements of a professional team, then so be it for the M-League to have eight teams.

And the teams who meet the criteria to be professional teams must have ambitions and long term plans and not just to make the number.

They have to start emulating JDT to become a powerhouse and put up a strong challenge in the League.

Otherwise, with only JDT being the top team, the League is going to be failure again as they will continue to stamp their authority as they have been doing so far – six-time Super League champions.

If teams do not buck up to raise their standard and match up to JDT, the overall standard in the League is not going to improve and certainly not going to help Malaysian football in general.

And for Malaysian football to rise, it is not only, managing their team well in the League and putting up a strong challenge.

All aspects of a professional team – training ground, stadium, administration block, medical facilities, team bus, development programmes, professional team, managing their funds effectively and the list goes, on has to be in place.

It is also time to see more local players groomed to make the national team and not take the short-cut process to naturalise players.

And the end of the day, execution of plans effectively will play a key role and stakeholders have to be sincere and work with one goal – to improve football in the country.

Ends.