'Don't break the dreams of Malaysia's young footballers'

KUALA LUMPUR: Four names are conspicuously missing from the announcements by FAM for this year's President's Cup and Youth Cup competitions. And this has raised a question mark over Kelantan, Kedah, Perak and Sri Pahang's participation in next season's Super League due to licensing issues. Kelantan, Kedah, Perak and Pahang have decided not to compete in the youth-level President's Cup and Youth Cup due to financial problems.

But will the four teams still be allowed to play in the Super League? That is because FAM has made it mandatory for clubs to field teams for the President's Cup and Youth Cup as part of the Super League licensing requirements. Football critic Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli has raised his concerns over this matter. "If we look at the list, Kelantan, Kedah, Perak and Pahang are not fielding teams in either the President's or Youth Cup.



"That could imply they may not be participating in the Super League next season, depending on whether FAM or MFL (Malaysian Football League) will still allow them. "This is a serious matter, but we don't know if it is being taken seriously by the clubs involved." Pekan said that if the clubs continue to neglect their youth structures, it could have lasting consequences for player development.

"These four teams are legacy names in Malaysian football. They have a long history, and they're from states with a rich talent pool. If they don't field youth teams, those young players will have to leave or give up their dreams.

That's a massive blow to local development," he said. Pekan, who stressed that development should be a top priority, believes there must be room for "leniency" (by FAM) especially if a club is unable to run all its teams, but still wants to participate in youth football. "If we break the youth system in these states, what happens to kids in schools who want to play football? Where do they go after school if their state team don't even have youth squads?" He urged FAM and MFL to avoid shifting the responsibility of youth development to the clubs.

Instead, he called for a deeper evaluation of the development programmes in each state and a broader strategy for youth involvement beyond short-term events like the Malaysian Games. "FAM and MFL must take this seriously. If these major states are not sending youth teams, then something is wrong.

We can't just brush it off. It goes beyond club licensing, it's about the future of our football," he said. The clubs listed for the 2025 Youth Cup are Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT IV and V), Terengganu, Selangor, AMD Under-16 and Under-17, Penang, Kuching City, KL City, Negri Sembilan, Sabah, Police, Melaka, and SSTMI Under-17.

For the President's Cup, the teams are JDT III, Selangor, Terengganu, Negri Sembilan, AMD Under-17, Penang, Kuching City, Police, Sabah, KL City, and Melaka.© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd.