Sarawak’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, has expressed concern over the national football team’s increasing reliance on naturalised players, warning that such a trend could undermine the long-term development of Malaysian football.
Although current FIFA and Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) regulations permit naturalised and heritage players to represent the country, Abdul Karim warned that the growing dependence on foreign-born talent may stifle the progress of local players.
As reported by Dayak Daily, he acknowledged that similar practices are being adopted in the region, with Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines also taking advantage of relaxed eligibility requirements.
“Personally, I would prefer to see our ‘anak jati’ — native-born players — representing both Malaysia and Sarawak,” he stated.
“Many of the current squad members are based in Europe or Latin America. If we continue to rely on players from abroad, it will be difficult to sustain the vibrancy of our local football scene.”
He stressed the importance of building a robust and sustainable grassroots development system. “We must consistently look inward and rebuild from the foundation,” he added.
Last month, a revamped Harimau Malaya squad secured a 4-0 victory over ASEAN Cup champions Vietnam at Bukit Jalil National Stadium — their first win against the Golden Star Warriors in over a decade.
Nine of the team’s starting eleven were naturalised players, with five — Joao Figueiredo, Rodrigo Holgado, Jon Irazabal, Facundo Garces, and Imanol Machuca — receiving last-minute clearance from FIFA just hours before kickoff.
FAM’s policy of fielding naturalised players has come under scrutiny from former national players, who argue that the association should prioritise local talent development over the recruitment of foreign-born individuals.
Under current rules, players with Malaysian parentage or who were born in Malaysia are eligible for national selection.
