MALAYSIA must be willing to spend more with higher productivity if the country wants to see its national squad excel on the stage of the world's biggest sport, football.
Malaysian Football League board director Jeffrey Chew Gim Eam said that the federal government's recent move to award the national association RM5 million after the team's 3-3 draw with giants South Korea at the Asian Cup finals in Qatar pales in comparison to what other countries spend on developing their football industries.
"South Korea's population base is almost similar to Malaysia, and we used to be great rivals with them in the 1980s,” he said.
“But look at what they have spent in recent years compared to us. Like any other sport, money is needed to sustain and grow football. Period."
According to Chew, it is unnecessary to debate about the RM5 million allocation, or on whether half of the squad are naturalised Malaysians instead of home-grown players.
Even Jordan, which has a smaller population than Malaysia’s and a lower economic output, has allocated more funds for football, he said to The Vibes.
Following Malaysia’s draw with South Korea, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the government would provide RM5 million to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). This was criticised by various quarters.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh then clarified that the grant would be used for development of football, and not for FAM’s operational costs.
Private sector shying away
Chew stressed that Yeoh was briefed about the state of football in the country.
Based on data gathered by the Youth and Sports Ministry, South Korea (population 51.7 million), which is ranked 23 in the world by FIFA, spends RM512.3 million on developing its football association, national squad, and new talents.
Jordan (population 11.3 million, FIFA ranking 87) spends RM122.2 million, while Bahrain (population 1.4 million, FIFA ranking 86) spends 122.2 million.
In contrast, Malaysia (population 33.4 million, FIFA ranking 130) spends only 47 million.
Chew, who is the Penang Football Club general manager, said that reality bites when it comes to actual expenditure and administration of the country's football industry.
"We are certain that football has a way of bringing people of the world together, but it costs money,” he said.
“We also seek to generate interest among all Malaysians so that the best can be scouted, groomed, trained and eventually become stars in their own right."
Chew lamented that the private sector is shying away from contributing resources, including funds, to galvanise the local footballing scene.
They tend to feel that there are no returns from such investments.
"Just face it, football is almost 80% sponsored from government coffers in each state. But Malaysia has done relatively well in the region."
Malaysia had qualified on merit to the Asian Cup finals for the first time in decades.
Although it got eliminated in the group stage, the team was praised for fighting commendably against teams that are ranked higher by FIFA.
Players of foreign origins
On the debate about having naturalised players in the national squad, Chew said that every country is doing it.
Even Japan, which does not easily accept migrants, has a goalkeeper whose father is African American.
Chew however stressed: “We need to be cautious not to offer naturalised immigration status to opportunists, or those who are not talented or are not disciplined in the first place."
He added that young players with parents from different national origins who have potential to become talented international-level footballers should be given a chance to represent the country of either parent.
"We can scout for players from mixed nationalities who are now playing in leagues globally and persuade them to play and represent for the country (Malaysia) if they have the potential," he said.
Other nations are doing exactly this, he said.
"Football., just like life, is about winning. It is not just about good performance on the pitch but ensuring that victory is secured. We need to have a winning mentality."
Pinnacle of World Cup
Lack of mastery over English is also a factor as to why Malaysian players and coaches fail on the international stage.
Chew referred to a past commentary from journalist Terence Netto which he said is worth reflecting upon.
Netto penned a piece opining that Malaysian players' apparent lack of English comprehension may stunt their growth as players. For instance, they may not fathom tactics or new skills given in English to counter opposition players.
That the education system in the country has failed in terms of teaching younger Malaysians about the mastery of languages, especially English which is a lingua franca, other than the national language and their mother tongues may be a factor, Chew said.
Footballing analysts need to also focus on whether there is adequate funding, especially from the private sector in the first place, he added.
The overriding factor is funding, he stressed.
"We want Malaysia to qualify for the World Cup. That would be the pinnacle of success for us as a nation in terms of sporting glory.
“Let us focus on ensuring that our players become stars for Manchester United or Liverpool or Manchester City," he said.
To groom them, funding is needed from grassroots to youth systems, he added. – The Vibes, January 30, 2024.
