KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's intention to invest RM15 million into Malaysian football is well-meaning but may not address the core issues, according to football critic Dr Zulakbal Abdul Karim.
While Anwar's commitment to improving the sport has been welcomed, Zulakbal, an Asian Football Confederation Professional Coaching Diploma holder, suggests that the funds might not fully tackle the underlying problems.
"The Prime Minister clearly cares about our football, but there's a concern that he might not fully grasp the deeper issues affecting the sport," said Zulakbal.
On Tuesday, Anwar announced that RM10 million will come directly from the government, with the remaining RM5 million from private entities.
The FA of Malaysia (FAM) may present its plan to the Prime Minister soon, but Zulakbal questions whether FAM is the best body to diagnose the deeper issues.
"Maybe the views from someone outside FAM would give the Prime Minister a clearer picture of what needs fixing," he suggested.
Zulakbal, a former national youth player, is particularly concerned about the focus on short-term solutions, like relying on naturalised players, instead of addressing the grassroots level, governance, and domestic competitions.
He also highlighted the need to improve the National Football Development Programme (NFDP), which has been adrift since failing to qualify for the 2019 Under-17 World Cup.
"Rather than scrapping initiatives that don't immediately succeed, we should be diagnosing the failures and improving on them. One cycle isn't enough to see substantial results," he argued.