KUALA LUMPUR: A "RM5 million reward" for the national football team for finishing last at the Asian Cup in Doha? And by his own admission, coach Kim Pan Gon felt that Malaysia failed to meet their target of reaching the round of 16 after losing 4-0 to Jordan, 1-0 to Bahrain and drawing 3-3 with South Korea in Group E.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the allocation on Friday after Malaysia's sensational 3-3 draw against mighty South Korea.
Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh clarified yesterday that the RM5 million to the FA of Malaysia (FAM) is not a reward, but to help Harimau Malaya prepare for competitions.
She revealed that the FAM had spent RM7 million for their Asian Cup campaign, which is much less compared to the other teams in their group.
South Korea had spent RM94 million, Jordan (RM23.5 million) and Bahrain (RM28.2 million).
She said annually the South Korean FA receives RM376 million while Bahrain and Jordan get RM84 million each. Malaysia get only RM36 million.
"The RM5 million is only a part of the funds needed by FAM. Many may feel it's a lottery (strike) for FAM, but in reality, the FAM needs more than the amount.
"We want Harimau Malaya to have an opportunity to win the Asian Cup, we must ensure they have the resources for training and exposure like other teams.
"I hope everyone understands. Though the amount is not big, it's very important for Harimau Malaya.
"They have proved in the last two years that if they can play well, they can be competitive with teams like Korea.
"I hope we can let experts like Kim Pan Gon do their job. We will monitor their performance.
"We cannot deny that football is the most popular sport in the country, it's obvious for all and we have to use football as a tool for unity."
Meanwhile, sports critic Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli said the mock cheque presentation at KLIA, when the team returned, gives the wrong perception to the public.
Pekan said the public feels that the government is rewarding the national team for failure, and this is the cause of their negative reaction.
"The draw against South Korea brought excitement to Malaysia... it looked like a big success but it's not an actual success because we were already knocked out of the tournament," said Pekan, who is the Higher Education Ministry sports sector deputy secretary.
"When the government announced the RM5 million for FAM, it looked like it was a reward. There was a mock cheque presentation at the airport with the team when they arrived from Doha. The perception of the public got worse.
"In reality, the RM5 million is to help the national team prepare for their upcoming matches and it's actually not much.
"I feel that the way the award is presented, is the problem. It should not be done in public where it's perceived to be a reward."
FAM is already said to be the richest national sport association.
It has received around US$7.6 million (RM36 million) from Fifa to carry out development programmes from 2016 to 2022.
And FAM received US$200,000 for qualifying for the Asian Cup in Doha.
Football critic Sadek Mustaffa felt that the RM5 million is better used to improve grassroots football instead of being channelled to the national team.
"I have read about the government allocation to FAM. We don't know the detailed breakdown of the fund," said the UiTM Sports Science and Recreation senior lecturer.
"I feel it's better to use the funds to run or enhance grassroots development. We need to think about producing future players for the national team."