The import of so-called ‘heritage players’ is taking away football opportunities for the Malaysian youth

Murray Hunter


The import of so-called ‘heritage players’ is taking away football opportunities for the Malaysian youth

FAM has betrayed young Malaysians

Nov 24, 2025





Liga Suparimau FB


Picture young Malaysians going through their school years working hard to one day represent their own country as a member of the national football team. This is a dream that many young boys train for, aspire to, and hope for. The opportunity to represent their country. It has always been a major driver of youth motivation, which creates character youths display throughout their lives.

However, the Football Association of Malaysia’s (FAM) practice of recruiting foreigners to fill places in the Malaysian national football team is taking away this opportunity for Malaysia’s youth.

The hopes and aspirations for those young Malaysians training and playing various football competitions throughout their school lives, coupled with personal ambitions to one day become a national team member has been put out of reach. FAM has betrayed the nation’s youth. Before the FIFA sanctions, there were up to 10 foreigner footballers, who were given ‘heritage status’ that have taken away national team places that Malaysians deserve. The national football squad has 27 members. 10 were taken away.

FAM is destroying the hopes and aspirations of Malaysia’s youth. FAM committed forgery in an attempt to gain Malaysia a place in the 2026 World Cup, where 8-9 spots are now allocated to Asian teams. The World Cup should be a tribute to national youth development in each respective member country, but FAM tried to circumvent this and turn its back on Malaysian youth in their own quest for glory. FAM turned its back on domestic talent.

Not a team made up of Malaysia’s best, but a team made up of foreign mercenaries.


Quick Boost verses domestic youth pipelines

Malaysia got caught up with looking for a quick boost by seeking out talent overseas and breaking the law to grant these players citizenship so they could be eligible to play in the Malaysian national team. This has cut off Malaysia’s youth pipeline – slow and evolutionary growth of domestic skills, talents and pride.

A generation of Malaysian youth has been denied the opportunity of gaining a place on the national team. This is going to destroy the morale of Malaysian youth, where their years of effort and training go down the drain because of FAM policy. Today, a young budding football player who started his football career playing with his kampong friends has nothing to aspire to and dream about.

Children have the right to the football dream.

NST

In effect, Malaysian youths have been sold out. This single FAM policy will set back domestic football standards back for a generation to come, as those who attend primary school will quickly learn that no matter how hard they work, they will never have the opportunity to be a member of the national team.

FAM is destroying domestic football standards. FAM has destroyed the heart of the youth, who will continue to live in hopelessness back in the kampong.

Malaysia had made significant strides in youth football development since the early 2010s, driven by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and government initiatives. The focus was on grassroots participation, talent identification, and holistic player growth to address past over-reliance on naturalized players. Programs emphasize technical skills, fitness, psychology, nutrition, and education, aligning with FIFA and AFC standards.

The aim was to produce sustainable talent for national teams like Harimau Muda (U-16, U-19, U-22). Participation has grown, with over 500 teams in national leagues and international exposure via camps in Europe and Asia. Programs span grassroots (ages 5-12), state-level talent ID (13-17), and elite academies, integrating competitions like Liga Suparimau.

It now appears that FAM was never sincere about these programs. They held their local players in contempt and sort to import players, who would take places over locals who were nurtured for over a decade.

The ‘heritage player’ scandal has set back Malaysian domestic football for a generation. Malaysians have been betrayed by FAM. Malaysia as a nation must invest in its current youth, who will one day lead the nation. Its often the case that local football heroes become the great citizens of tomorrow. Instead, FAM is directing the nation’s youth away from sport into disappear and low self-esteem.

This is the real national scandal behind the so-called ‘heritage player’ scandal.