Malaysia Premier League

Astro Malaysia Premier League

Countries	Malaysia
Confederation	AFC
Founded	2004
Divisions	2nd
Number of teams	12
Levels on pyramid	1
Promotion to	Super League
Relegation to	National League
Domestic cup(s)	Malaysia Cup Malaysia FA Cup Malaysia Charity Shield
International cup(s)	AFC Cup (via domestic cups)
Current champions	PKNS FC (2011)
Website	http://www.fam.org.my
2011 Season

Malaysia Premier League (Liga Perdana Malaysia) is the second-tier football league in Malaysia. The league is currently named Astro Premier League Malaysia (Astro Liga Perdana Malaysia in Malay). The League was previously called the TM Premier League Malaysia because of the sponsorship of Telekom Malaysia, But it was changed after Astro became the league sponsors replacing Telekom Malaysia

History

Between 1998 to 2003, the second-tier league existed as the Malaysia Premier Two League, below the top-flight Malaysia Premier One League. In 2004, it was relaunched as the Malaysia Premier League, and the top-tier league was renamed the Malaysia Super League.

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

1. First Division: Malaysia Super League
2. Second Division: Malaysia Premier League Group A
3. Second Division: Malaysia Premier League Group B

At the end of the season, the top team from each group of the Premier League was promoted to the Malaysia Super League. The teams which finished bottom of each group were relegated to the National League Malaysia. The two group champions also faced-off to determine the Malaysia Premier League Championship.

For the 2006-07 season, the Malaysia Premier League was reorganised into a single league of 11 teams instead of being a competition involving two separate groups of teams.

Prize money

According to a press report, these were price money for the 2009 competition.

• RM 200,000 for the league champion
• RM 100,000 for the second place
• RM 50,000 for third place

However FAM's Malaysia National under 21 team, the Harimau Muda were not given the prize money. The money were kept by the organizer (FAM). But for the 2010s league, Harimau Muda B will keep their prize money (unlike their brother last year).

Teams

The Malaysia Premier League 2011 season will have 12 teams playing for promotion to the Malaysia Super League. The teams are:-

• ATM FA
• Johor FA
• Harimau Muda B
• Shahzan Muda FC
• Malacca FA
• MP Muar FC¹
• PDRM FA²
• PKNS FC
• Pos Malaysia FC¹
• Sime Darby FC
• Sarawak FA
• USM FC¹

¹ - promoted from FAM Cup League Malaysia
² - relegated from Super League Malaysia

Champions

Season	Champions	Runners-up
2004	MPPJ FC	TM FC
2005	Selangor FA	Negeri Sembilan FA
2005-06	Kedah FA	Malacca FA
2006-07	PDRM FA	UPB MyTeam FC
2007-08	Kuala Muda Naza FC	PLUS FC
2009	Harimau Muda A	PBDKT T-Team FC
2010	Felda United FC	Sabah FA
2011	PKNS FC	Sarawak FA
2012

History

Pre-2004 Malaysian football league second-tier champions

Year	Champions
1982-88	no second-tier league
1989	Division 2: Perlis FA
1990	Division 2: Terengganu FA
1991	Division 2: Negeri Sembilan FA
1992	Division 2: Kedah FA
1993	Division 2: Selangor FA
1994-97	no second-tier league
1998	Premier 2: Terengganu FA
1999	Premier 2: Johor FA
2000	Premier 2: Kelantan FA
2001	Premier 2: Johor FC
2002	Premier 2: Kedah FA
2003	Premier 2: Public Bank FC

Best performing teams

#	Club	Titles
1	Kedah FA	3
2	Selangor FA	2
3	Terengganu FA	2
4	Johor FA	1
5	Perlis FA	1
6	Negeri Sembilan FA	1
7	MPPJ FC	1
8	Kelantan FA	1
9	PDRM FA	1
10	Johor FC	1
11	Public Bank FC	1
12	Naza FC	1
13	Harimau Muda	1
14	Felda United FC	1
15	PKNS FC	1

Foreign players

The professionalism of some teams have also been questioned. Most Malaysia Premier League teams view foreign players as a necessity and as a result, most teams usually fill up their rosters with unknown foreigners. Teams usually sign foreigners based on their performances in pre-season trials. It is not uncommon for foreign players to be released after just two or three matches or be kept on the sidelines for an entire season.

The last case of unprofessional conduct involved Ivan Ziga, a Slovakian player who plays for Sarawak FA. Ivan Ziga claims his contract was terminated nine-months early without any explanation. He also claimed he was not paid. He took his plight to the Football Association of Malaysia but received no reply until Ivan Ziga threatened to take the case to FIFA.

Ivan Ziga's case is not uncommon in Malaysia, with most other cases involving African players who are either not paid or left stranded when their contracts are terminated early without any proper explanation given by teams.

Foreign players are to come back to the league starting from the 2012 season onwards. All foreign players must obtain International Transfer Certificate from their previous national football/soccer governing body that their previous clubs affiliated before they can be register with FAM to plays in Malaysia Premier League.

The early editions of Division 2 League, M-League, Premier 2 League and Malaysia Premier League used the same format for foreign players as the previous edition of second layer league in Malaysia, which allows club to have 3 foreign players from any countries without further restrictions. Further up, clubs can employ as many as 4 foreign players and only 3 of them are allowed to play together in a match.

Guidelines on Hiring of Foreign Players for the M-League

1. Each team in the M-League can employ a maximum of TWO (2) professional Foreign Players subject to the FAM Regulations.

2. Teams participating in AFC Cup 2012 can employ one (1) extra Foreign Player, making it a total of three (3) Foreign Players, but the third Foreign Player is only allowed to play for the AFC Cup Tournament.

3. All the teams seeking to employ foreign players must seek clearance from the Vetting Committee.

4. There is no restriction as to the country of origin of the Foreign Player but subject to the Malaysian Immigration Law.

5. The Foreign Player to be selected should comply with the following playing status:-

- Only Foreign Players playing in Division 2 and above are allowed from the Confederations listed below:

• Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
  
• Confederation of African Football (CAF)
  
• Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF)
  
• South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL)
  

- Only Foreign Players playing in Division 1 are allowed from the Confederations listed below:

• Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
  
• Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)
  

- However, only current National Players from countries with world ranking higher than Malaysia’s ranking in FIFA’s World Ranking listed on 24th August 2011 is allowed to play in M-League 2012.

6. All Foreign Players to be employed must be certified medically fit and free from illnesses such as HIV Aids, Hepatitis A, B and C by a Malaysia Hospital approved by FAM or State Football Associations.

7. The Foreign Player must bring together his medical records and a copy of his contract from the previous club or loan agreement between players and the club concerned.

8. An agreement contract of minimum SIX (6) months, shall be drawn out by the Football Association of Malaysia, and will be signed between the foreign player and the State Football Association or Clubs.

9. Teams can employ a Foreign Player for a maximum of two (2) years subject to renewal based on performance at the end of the first year.

10. If the Foreign Player wants to continue playing for the same team after two (2) years, then he will have to appeal to the Vetting Committee.

11. Foreign Player who has played in one season of the M-League, either full or halfway, will not be able to play for another team in the M-League in the remainder of the season and the entire duration of the next season.

12. A minimum monthly salary of RM2,500.00 (RINGGIT MALAYSIA TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED ONLY), has been set for each Foreign Player.

13. State Football Associations are only allowed to deal regarding hiring matters with FIFA / FAM Agents or parents, lawyers, siblings, spouse of the Foreign Players.

14. The additional perks may include suitable accommodation and a car for Foreign Players.

15. The quantum for the match bonuses shall be agreed upon between the Foreign Player and the State Football Association or Club.

16. The State Football Association or Club intending to hire a Foreign Player must have a healthy budget and submit deposit to FAM for each Foreign Player hired based on the calculation below:

Deposit = Total Salary (one month gross salary) x 3

17. Foreign Players who are playing or who have played in AFF South East Asian League have to complete a cooling-off period of two years, where their last Contract must have ended before or on 7th December 2009 before they can be hired by State Football Association or Club to play in M-League 2012.

18. All the Foreign Players, Team Manager, Coaches and the State Football Secretary which hires the Foreign Players will have to undergo a compulsory pre-season briefing conducted by the Vetting Committee.

19. All matters not stipulated under this guidelines, any exemption to the guideline or unforeseen circumstances and interpretation of the guidelines will be determined by the vetting committee whose decision shall be final and binding.

20. In the event of any dispute on the interpretation of these Guidelines, the decisions of the Vetting Committee of the Football Association of Malaysia shall be final.

2012 Foreign Players

Club	Visa 1	Visa 2	Visa 3	Visa 4	Visa 5	Non-Visa Foreign
Pahang FA						None
Perlis FA						None
PDRM FA						None
Johor FA
Sime Darby FC						None
USM FC						None
ATM FA						None
Muar Municipal Council FC						None
Pos Malaysia FC						None
Harimau Muda B						None
Betaria FC						None
MBJB FC						None

Players

Golden Boot Winners

Season	Players	Teams/Clubs	Goals
1989	-	-	-
1990	-	-	-
1991	Marshall Soper	Penang FA	11
1992	-		-
1993	Alistair Edwards	Singapore FA
1998	Seidu Issifu	Terengganu FA	8
1999	Rusdi Suparman	Selangor FA	15
2000	Annuar Abu Bakar	Kelantan FA	12
2001	Suharmin Yusuf Shahrin Abdul Majid	Sabah FA	12
2002	Issac Kuffour	TM FC	22
2003	Juan Manuel Arostegui	MPPJ FC	33
2004	Brian Diego Fuentes	Selangor FA	25
2005	Bambang Pamungkas	Selangor FA	23
2005-06	Gustavo Fuentes	Malacca FA	18
2006-07	Marin Mikac	UPB MyTeam FC	13
2007-08	Mohamed Moustapha N'diaye	Kelantan FA	27
2009	Mohd Haris Safwan Mohd Kamal	T-Team	24
2010	Mohammad Zamri Hassan	PKNS FC	11
2011	Mohd Fitri Omar	Muar Municipal Council FC	16

See also

• Malaysia Premier League seasons

External links

• Malaysia Premier League
• Premier League statistics
• RSSSF.com: Malaysia - List of Second Level Champions