After looking at Jakarta Casual and Bola Today, Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is a "Truly Malaysia" organization. Can anyone tell me which football league in the world that has a promotion and relegation system make as outstanding a decision as them?
Typically, with the exception of promoted teams unable to fulfill financial obligations to be among the teams in the elite, as is the case in the K-League sometimes, or financial irregularities, all promoted team should be taking their places in the top flight.
Thus, Harimau Muda, the national under-19 team who are also the 2009 Malaysian Premier League champions, ought to be competing alongside giants Selangor and Negri Sembilan. But no, thanks to the "wisdom" of the FAM President, the Sultan of Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah, they will now defend their title instead.
Is this fair to the young boys who often had to play in front of empty stadiums and cannot participate in the Malaysia Cup and FA Cup? Given the state of development of the game in this country, this should have been the best opportunity for them to pit their skills against the best locals (since no foreigners are allowed to play in Malaysia, again thanks to FAM) in the Super League.
So Arzaai Khor's team will have to settle for second-best once again when there is nothing within the competition regulations that they cannot be promoted whether they finish among the promotion places or otherwise. Where is the meritocracy?
It could even lead to some of the better teams from the class of 2009 being poached away by the bigger clubs in the country. Not every player has the quality like the Zaquan and Zafuan twins to immediately command a place in the starting eleven. A pity that some of these promising talents are bound to be wasted.
Who benefitted from this decision then? Fallen giants Pahang, who were originally supposed to be playing in the Premier League, keep their top-flight status. Whether it is the intervention of their patron or not, it does not really matter.
Giant teams have risen and fallen before rebounding back to the top. Manchester United and AC Milan had their downers before. Even long-time giants Selangor were relegated to the second tier earlier this decade. If the Red Giants were allowed to fall, why not Pahang?
They are presently a pale shadow of their former glories. Big-name players deserted them for bigger pay packets and better conditions. Fandi Ahmad, Dollah Salleh and Zainal Abidin Hassan, the heroes of their 1992 Malaysia Cup triumph, have long retired.
Hence it is no surprise that Malaysia are ranked among the continent's worst leagues by the Asian Football Condeferation Pro League Committee. Even better, only Selangor are flying the Malaysia flag in next year's AFC Cup.
Present Thailand assistant coach Steve Darby, who once coached Perak, once commented that the Malaysians have this inward mentality that winning at home (ie Malaysia Cup) is more important than competing in Asia. With such an attitude, is it no surprise that Malaysian football remains a laughing joke today?
One disaster, promises of reform. Another disaster, another round of promises. How many disasters do FAM need to realize that they are actually the problem, not the solution? Malaysians have given up. Malaysian media care but are long tired of such nonsense.
The farce has been ongoing long enough. If that continues, perhaps production houses can make a long-running drama series out of such decision-making under Sultan Ahmad Shah.
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