Malaysia Super League

Origins

Malaysia Super League was formed in 2004 following the decision by the Football Association of Malaysia to privatise the league. As a result, Malaysia Super League Sdn Bhd (or MSL Proprietary Limited) was created to oversee the marketing aspects of the league, but it was not fully privatised.

The league has seen numerous changes to its format from eight teams to 14 teams to accommodate changes to the league rules and withdrawal of certain teams from the league in order to create a competitive environment and professional management among the clubs.

Foundation

The Malaysian league was revamp to be a fully professional league in 2004 which coined the creation of new top-tier division, Malaysia Super League.

Between 2004 to 2006, the professional football league in Malaysia was divided into two levels and two groups:

The new top-tier league, Malaysia Super League was competed by eight teams while there are 16 teams competing in Malaysia Premier League which was divided into 2 groups. While there are only eight teams in the league prior to the 2006-07 season, position movements were radical. Successive losses would condemn teams to a relegation dogfight. Similarly, successive wins would put a team in contention for the title. The Malaysia Super League has gone through two format changes in its short history spanning three-years. The Football Association of Malaysia decided to expand the Malaysia Super League to accommodate 14 teams instead of eight, which was the number of league teams in the Super League's first three seasons. But the plan was hold when some of the teams withdrew from the league for financial reason. Only from 2009 season the league will had 14 teams with all teams played each other only twice (26 matches total).

Below is the league changed for 2007 season, where Malaysia Premier League was combined into one level rather than two groups and in 2008 FAM Cup was revamp to form Malaysia FAM League:

In 2015, Football Malaysia LLP was created in the course of privatisation of the Malaysian football league system. The partnership saw all 24 teams of Malaysia Super League and Malaysia Premier League including FAM as the Managing Partner and MP & Silva as a special partner (FAM's global media and commercial advisor) to become stakeholders in the company. The company owns, operates and runs five entities in Malaysian football under its jurisdiction, which include Malaysia Super League, the Malaysia Premier League, the Malaysia FA Cup, the Malaysia Cup and the Charity Shield. It aims to transform and move Malaysian football forward.

A decade after the league inception, a total of eight clubs have been crowned champions of Malaysia Super League where Pahang is the first champion. Kedah, Selangor, and Kelantan has won the league twice each while Pahang, Perlis, Negeri Sembilan and LionsXII has won it once. In 9 September 2016, Johor Darul Ta'zim became the first team to win Malaysia Super League three times in a row.

Club Licensing Regulations

Every team in the Malaysia Super League must have a licence to play in the league, or else they are relegated. To obtain a licence, teams must be financially healthy and meet certain standards of conduct as organisations. As part of privation effort for the league, all clubs compete in MSL and MPL will be required to obtained FAM Club Licensing.

As a preliminary preparation towards the total privatisation of the league, FAM Club Licensing is being created with the hope of it being enforced throughout MSL fully by the end of 2018 and MPL by end of 2019.

As in other national leagues, there are significant benefits to being in the top division:

Privatisation of league football clubs

Pahang Football Association became the first FAM affiliates to separate itself from the management of football team with the formation of Pahang F.C. which now under the management of Pahang FC Sdn Bhd starting from 2016 season.

In 10 January 2016, Johor Football Association became the second FAM affiliates to follow suit when it separate itself from management of football team and changing its focus to state football development and state league while the football team became its own entity as Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C..

In November 2016, Melaka United Soccer Association became the third FAM affiliates to follow suit with privatisation of its football team as separate entity called as Melaka United Football Club for 2017 Malaysia Super League season onwards.

In 6 November 2016, FMLLP has released an update regarding the club licensing progress where currently only Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C. has obtained the CLR while others still in progress with 80 percent complete. All clubs in MSL and MPL will be required to obtained CLR where MSL clubs needed to obtained by September 2017 while MPL clubs has an extended date from 2019 to 2020 as some of the clubs has only met 50 percent requirement completion. FMLLP has also suggesting FAM to ensure that clubs in the Malaysia FAM League meet certain guidelines as this will allow them to get their license if promoted to the MPL.

In February 2017, FMLLP has released a statement regarding the official status of Johor Darul Ta'zim and Johor Darul Ta'zim II where Johor Darul Ta'zim II has now become an official feeder club for Johor Darul Ta'zim since the feeder club agreement between both club has been approved in 19 Ogos 2016. Through the agreement, both clubs will be allowed additional four players transfer quota which can be used outside normal transfer windows for player between both clubs. The feeder club will also required to register a minimum of 12 players under the age of 23 for its squad from 2017. A feeder club will be required to be in the league below the main club at all times which mean Johor Darul Ta'zim II will never be allowed to reach promotion even if the club managed to win the Malaysia Premier League. By 2018, the feeder club must field four players under the age of 23 in their first eleven during match day and the feeder club is not allowed to play in other cup competition where the parent club compete such as Malaysia Cup and Malaysia FA Cup.

Logo evolution

Since the inception of the league in 2004, numerous logo has been introduced for the league to reflect the sponsorship purpose. In its inaugural season, Dunhill logo was incorporated as title sponsors and it was the only season sponsored by the tobacco company before tobacco advertising was banned in the country. From 2005 to 2010, the Malaysia Super League incorporated the TM brand as part of its logo as the title sponsor. After the end of TM sponsorship for seven consecutive years, FAM launched a new logo for the 2011 season where it has been partnering with Astro Media as strategic partner for MSL marketing. The Astro brand was only incorporated as part of the MSL logo from 2012 season until the end of 2014 season. In 2015 season, no title sponsor was incorporated when the league was sponsored by MP & Silva. For 2016 season a new logo was introduced as part of the takeover of the league by FMLLP.

Finances

The FMLLP will introduce the merit-point system starting in 2016 season. Points will be awarded based on a team’s league position, progress in the Cup competitions (FA Cup and Malaysia Cup) and the number of live matches shown. A point in season’s Malaysian League will be worth RM41,000.

The money will be distribute twice per season. First during early season where the team will received a basic payment out of that particular year league sponsorship and the second payment will be received at the end of the season where all merit-point has been calculated. For 2016 season, the first basic payment will consist of 30 percent cut out of RM 70 Million league sponsorship that equal to RM 21 million which will be distributed among 24 teams of Malaysia Super League and Malaysia Premier League.

Team in Malaysian league has quite often involved in financial problem as their spending is more than their revenue. The Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia (PFAM) is one of the active member in pursuing the issue of unpaid salaries. In January 2016, PFAM president's suggest a couple solutions to promote financial sustainability on the competing team's part where the team's should make long-term investments by operating according to their budgets and requiring teams wage bills to be no bigger than 60 percent of their total spending. Other suggestion including for the salaries to be deducted directly from team grants and winning prizes, for points to be deducted from teams experiencing payment issues, and a ruling that requires teams to settle all their late salary payments before the start of every new season.

In response to this issues, FMLLP decided starting 2016 season, football clubs would be given warnings with the deduction of three league points if they failed to pay player's salary. If the problem persists, it will affect the licence of the clubs. When the club licence is withdrawn, the team will not be able to compete next season. If the team don't adopt the right structure, they will be left behind and club licensing will be a problem for them, and the team will drop out from competing in the league.

Other than this, each teams do raise revenue from sponsorship from local, regional and international sponsors for their team.

Media Coverage

Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), a free-to-air channel has been broadcasting Malaysian league for a years even before the formation of Malaysia Super League. They continued to broadcast the league most of the times exclusively until end of 2010 where Astro Media was announced as sponsors and to manage the broadcasting right of the league for four years spanning from 2011 until 2014 season. During this time, the league was broadcast on one of the cable channel of Astro Media, which is Astro Arena alongside the RTM for the free-to-air broadcast. In 2015, Astro lost the broadcasting right for the league where the right was given to Media Prima, a parent company of multiple free-to-air channel alongside the broadcast with RTM. The broadcasting right for 2016 season has been given to Media Prima for 3 years with a maximum of three games in each gameweek will be shown live on television.

Clubs

For unofficial Malaysia club ranking, see Football Malaysia Index.

Melaka United and PKNS were promoted to 2017 Malaysia Super League after finished as champions and runners-up of 2016 Malaysia Premier League.

Stadiums and locations

Champions

Since its inception in 2004, the Malaysia Super League title has seen 8 different teams crowned as champions. Kedah becomes the first club that won the Malaysia Super League title back-to-back, in 2006–07 season and in 2007–08 season. Kelantan also managed to win back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012. In 2015, Johor Darul Ta'zim became the fourth team to win the titles back-to-back where they won the 2014 and 2015.

Great honours

Great honours are titled for the team who won 2 trophies (double) and 3 trophies (treble) in the same season. It covers Malaysia Super League, Malaysia FA Cup, and Malaysia Cup.

Treble

National treble is the achievement given for winning a Malaysia's top tier division which is the Malaysia Super League and its primary cup competition which is the Malaysia FA Cup and also the Malaysia Cup, the country's one of Asia's oldest footballing tournaments, in the same season.

Double

Double is the achievement given for winning Malaysia's top tier division which is the Malaysia Super League and its primary cup competition which is the Malaysia FA Cup in the same season.

Number of appearances

Included the current 13th season of Malaysia Super League.

Foreign players

Foreign players policy has changed multiple times since the league inception. In 2009, FAM took a drastic measure when they change the foreign players policy when they were banned from playing in the league until 2011. Foreign players were only allowed be back to the league starting from the 2012 season onwards.

All foreign players must obtain International Transfer Certificate from their previous national football governing body that their previous clubs affiliated before they can be register with FAM in order to play in Malaysia Super League.