SHAH ALAM - The limited progress of the Harimau Malaya football team over the past two decades has contributed significantly to the waning enthusiasm among local fans.
The team's consistent underperformance has led to a decline in stadium attendance, reflecting growing frustration and a need for revitalisation within Malaysian football.
Sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli highlighted that Malaysia's FIFA ranking has remained relatively unchanged in the past two decades, despite trailing behind regional rivals like Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore.
"One key reference is the FIFA rankings. Back then, Malaysia was ranked between 114 and 122, but we were still trailing behind Thailand (71), Indonesia (92) and Singapore (117).
"Today, our FIFA ranking stands at 134, indicating that not much progress has been made over the past two decades.
"In terms of achievements in Southeast Asia, Asia, and Olympic and World Cup qualifiers, Harimau Malaya remain far behind, consistently lagging in the region.
"Although we qualified for the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar, we were eliminated early,” he told Sinar Daily when contacted.
Pekan said the only major achievements during this period were winning the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup and securing the gold medal at the 2011 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
"At the youth level, our national team still struggles to compete with the likes of Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.
"However, at the club level, there has been notable success, largely due to the dominance of Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT).
"These factors may explain the decline in enthusiasm among Malaysian football fans, further worsened by ongoing issues, controversies, and scandals within the national football scene and the top management of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM),” he said.
When asked if he believes the Ultras Malaya boycott will come to an end, he said that while such boycotts usually do not last long, FAM cannot afford to stay silent on the issue.
"Proactive steps are crucial to address the concerns of the supporters’ clubs, or perhaps initiate constructive negotiations.
"It is important to set aside egos and at the very least, offer reassurances to resolve these issues.
"If FAM continues to criticise the boycott, it may only prolong the situation,” he added.
The boycott by Ultras Malaya, was a significant issue leading up to the Merdeka Tournament.
According to media reports, the Ultras were discontent with the state of football in Malaysia and decided to abstain from supporting the tournament, which featured Malaysia, the Philippines, Lebanon and Tajikistan.
Despite this, Malaysia triumphed over Lebanon 1-0 on Sept 8, clinching the championship.
Meanwhile, FAM President Tan Sri Hamidin Mohd Amin had attempted to address the situation by urging the Ultras to support the tournament and offering to meet with them to resolve the issues.
However, prior to the competition, ticket sales had been sluggish, with FAM reporting fewer than 1,000 tickets sold.
On Sept 9, after the tournament's conclusion, coach Pau Marti Vicente expressed satisfaction with the victory, praising the players' hard work and describing the win as a symbolic testament to their efforts.
He was pleased with the team’s performance and the positive working relationship with the staff and players.