KUALA LUMPUR: Fed up with the poor performance of the Harimau Malaya squad on the international stage, local football fans feel that the time has come for the FA of Malaysia (FAM) to use a new formula by making use of naturalised players.
Even though the calling up naturalised players is still at the proposal stage where FAM is concerned, many local football fans are receptive towards such a move.
Based on a public poll carried out on Harian Metro’s Facebook page that began on Wednesday and ended at 4pm earlier today (Saturday), 68 per cent out of 2,800 votes supported the move in favour of naturalised players.
Meanwhile a poll carried out on Harian Metro’s Twitter account saw 69 per cent out of 1,120 votes in favour of granting citizenship to foreign players who can perform and have played in the country for more than five years.
Many of those who voted feel that the time has come for Malaysia to follow in the footsteps of other countries who have long made use of players who were born and raised in other countries.
"There are many countries across Asia and Europe that have tried this method and they have reaped the rewards of such a move, for example Hong Kong, the Philippines and newly crowned World Cup champions France, as not all the players in these national teams were born in those countries, the same can be said of Spain as well,” said Hasridzuan Hassan.
For Muhamaed Zulfikri, he feels that Malaysian football fans are fed up of the performance of local players which has resulted in Malaysia languished in 171st place in the Fifa world rankings.
"Looking at the quality of the players now, yes we should make use of naturalised players. The mentality of many of the local players is still at a semi-pro level. But if there is a need for naturalised players, then it should not be those in their thirties who are in the twilight of their playing career, it would be a waste,” said Zulfikri.
The poll carried out on Berita Harian’s Facebook page revealed that 75 per cent of 2,800 votes by local football fans also supported the move for naturalised players, while via Berita Harian’s Twitter account, 72 per cent out of 789 votes also leaned towards FAM giving the nod to call up naturalised players.
According to a local football fan using the name Isa Mueller, the move can be implemented in the short term.
"it is needed in the near future so that Malaysia’s Fifa world ranking can improve. This is so that talented, young local players can learn and also hone as well as sharpen their footballing skills while such naturalised players could aid in improving the standard of the game and Malaysian football as well,” he said.
However it was a different story for polls carried out via NST’s Facebook page and Twitter account, as most who voted were against such a move.
59 per cent out of 416 votes polled through NST’s Facebook page rejected the move while 51 per cent out of 455 votes polled via NST’s Twitter account were also against such a move.
Many who voted on NST’s two online social media channels felt that the failure of neighboring countries such as Singapore and Indonesia on the international stage despite having naturalised players showed that such a move does not always work, apart from questioning whether such players would truly feel pride and patriotism when pulling on the Malaysian jersey.
"How is there supposed to be pride and patriotism when players representing the national side are not even born here in Malaysia? Football is a sport that unites Malaysians from all walks of life, backgrounds and ethnicities. Such a fact cannot be ignored by granting citizenship to foreign players,” said one fan known as D’Aldebaran on Twitter.
The issue of using naturalised players became a hotly contested debate among members of the Malaysian public as well as new Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman who does not agree with such a move because he feels that Malaysian born players should earn the honour of playing for the national team in a sport that is the most popular in the country.
For now no foreign player has been granted citizenship to play for Harimau Malaya, though players of mixed parentage with Malaysian ancestry and heritage have been called up to the national team, such as Pahang’s Matthew Davies, Natxo Insa (Johor Darul Ta’zim), Brendan Gan (Perak) and Khair Jefri Jones (Melaka).
Polls results on FAM’s proposal to call up naturalised players to represent Harimau Malaya.
Harian Metro’s Facebook
68% Yes
32% No
2,800 Votes
Harian Metro’s Twitter
69% Yes
31% No
1,120 Votes
Berita Harian’s Facebook
75% Yes
25% No
3,245 Votes
Berita Harian’s Twitter
72% Yes
28% No
789 Votes
NST’s Facebook
41% Yes
59% No
416 Votes
NST’s Twitter
49% Yes
51% No
455 Votes