Super League Malaysia Information & Super League Malaysia Links at HealthHaven.com

TM Super League Malaysia
Countries	Malaysia
Confederation	AFC
Founded	2004
Divisions	1st
Number of teams	14
Relegation to	Premier League Malaysia
Level on pyramid	Level 1
Domestic cup(s)	Malaysia Cup, Malaysia FA Cup
International cup(s)	AFC Cup
Current champions	Selangor FA (2009)
Most championships	Kedah FA (2)
Website	http://www.malaysiansuperleague.com/
	2009 Season

'TM Super League Malaysia' is the top flight of football in Malaysia. It replaced the M-League as the highest division a professional football team in Malaysia can participate in.

Introduced in 2004, the Super League Malaysia catered only to the top eight football teams in the country. The bottom two teams at the end of the season are usually relegated to the Premier League Malaysia. The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) also decided to privatize the league and created MSL Sendirian Berhad (or MSL Proprietary Limited) to oversee the marketing aspects of the game.

The league used to have eight teams and teams would play three rounds of matches (21 matches in total). The first two rounds were played on a home/away format while the third round would be hosted by the stadium which had the bigger attendance during the first two rounds.

[edit] Champions

Since its inception in 2004, the Super League Malaysia title has seen 4 different teams become champions. Kedah FA becomes the first club that won the Super League Malaysia title back-to-back, in 2006-07 season and in 2007-08 season.

TM Super League Malaysia is classified as 18th Ranking league in Asian with Grade D in the AFC Pro-League Ad-Hoc Committee Assessment Chart.

Season	Champions
2009	Selangor FA
2007-08	Kedah FA
2006-07	Kedah FA
2005-06	Negeri Sembilan FA
2005	Perlis FA
2004	Pahang FA

(For detailed information on a particular season, click on the season.)

[edit] Teams

These teams will be playing in the Malaysia Super League 2010 season.

¹ - promoted from Premier League Malaysia

[edit] Former teams

Super League Malaysia

Kuala Muda Naza FC (defunct)
UPB-MyTeam FC (defunct)
Public Bank FC (defunct)
MPPJ Selangor FC (defunct)
Melaka TMFC (defunct)
DPMM FC (voided due to the deregisteration of BAFA (Brunei Amateur Football Association) by the Registrar of Societies (RoS))

M-League

Singapore M-League Team (defunct)
Brunei M-League Team (defunct)

[edit] History

Main article: History of Malaysian League and Trophy

A football league competition involving the representative sides of the state football assiociations was first held in Malaysia in 1982. When it began, it was intended primarily as a qualifying tournament for the final knock-out stages of the Malaysia Cup. However over the years since then, the league competition has gained important stature in its own right.

Initially the only teams only allowed to participate in the league were the state FA's sides, teams representing the Armed Forces and the Police, and teams representing the neighbouring countries of Singapore and Brunei (though the Football Association of Singapore pulled out of the Malaysian League after the 1994 season following a dispute with the Football Association of Malaysia over gate receipts, and has not been involved since). In recent years, top Malaysian club teams have also been admitted to the league competition.

Between 1989 to 1993 and 1998 to 2003, the football league in Malaysia was divided into two levels:

Between 1994 to 1997, there was no second level league as the top two leagues were combined.

Between 2004 to 2006, the professional football league in Malaysia was divided into 2 levels and 2 groups:

1st Division: Super League Malaysia
2nd Division: Premier League Malaysia Group A
2nd Division: Premier League Malaysia Group B

Between 2007 until now, the professional football league in Malaysia was only divided into 2 levels when Premier League Malaysia combined into 1 level:

1st Division: Super League Malaysia
2nd Division: Premier League Malaysia

Prior to the introduction of the current set-up, the top league competition in Malaysia was known as the Semi-Pro League (1989-93), and the M-League (1994-2003).

[edit] Pre-2004 Malaysian football league top-level champions

Year	Champions
2003	Premier 1: Perak FA
2002	Premier 1: Perak FA
2001	Premier 1: Penang FA
2000	Premier 1: Selangor FA
1999	Premier 1: Pahang FA
1998	Premier 1: Penang FA
1997	Sarawak FA
1996	Sabah FA
1995	Pahang FA
1994	Singapore
1993	Division 1: Kedah FA
1992	Division 1: Pahang FA
1991	Division 1: Johor FA
1990	Division 1: Selangor FA
1989	Division 1: Selangor FA
1988	Kuala Lumpur FA
1987	Pahang FA
1986	Kuala Lumpur FA
1985	Singapore
1984	Selangor FA
1983	Malacca FA
1982	Penang FA

Note: * Melaka TMFC pulled out from the Super League Malaysia 2007-08 season due to concentrating on sponsoring the Super League Malaysia.

[edit] Criticism

The Super League Malaysia has had its share of criticism throughout its history.

[edit] Radical position movements

With 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. Notable examples include:

In 2005 season, Perak FA was rooted at the bottom of the table (with 12 points from 3 wins, 3 draws & 8 losses) after 14 rounds (which was already two-third of the season), relegation dangers seemed imminent back then. However, 6 straight wins that followed propelled them into direct contention for 2nd place with Pahang FA (the defending champions then) on the last day of the season. They eventually lost that game, but still finished in a respectable 3rd place.

In 2006 season, Selangor MPPJ was leading the table (with 21 points from 7 wins, 1 draw & 2 losses) after 10 rounds (which was almost half of the season), winning the title to follow up their famous victory in 2003 Malaysia Cup was certainly on the cards. However, 8 losses in a row subsequently left them in deep relegation troubles. Their place in the Super League Malaysia was only saved with 2 straight wins in the final rounds of the season. In the end they finished in a disappointing 5th place.

[edit] Constant format changes

The reasons given for the formation of the Super League Malaysia was the need to improve the standard of football in Malaysia. However, the Super League Malaysia was criticized by local press. Many called it a variation of the older M-League but with fewer teams in the top division. Many also disagreed with the fact that the league format changed almost annually and it is a problem which persists until today. The Super League Malaysia has gone through two format changes in its short history spanning three-years. The Football Association of Malaysia decided to expand the Super League Malaysia to accommodate 14 teams instead of 8, which was the number of league teams in the Super League Malaysia's first three seasons.

From Super League Malaysia 2009 the league will have 14 teams, and all teams will play each other only twice (26 matches total). It was also decided that the teams will no longer feature any foreign players.

[edit] Foreign players

The professionalism of some teams have also been questioned. Most Super League Malaysia 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.

[edit] Players

[edit] Golden Boot Winners

Season	Players	Teams/Clubs	Goals
2009	Mohd Nizaruddin Yusof	Perlis FA	18
2007-08	Marlon Alex James	Kedah FA	23
2006-07	Keita Mandjou Mohd Shahrazen Said	Perak FA DPMM FC	21
2005-06	Keita Mandjou	Perak FA	17
2005	Julio Cesar Rodriguez Zacharia Simukonda	Sabah FA Perlis FA	18
2004	Indra Putra Mahayuddin	Pahang FA	15
2003	Phillimon Chepita	Perlis FA	23
2002	Muhamad Khalid Jamlus	Perak FA	17
2001	Norizam Ali Hassan	Perak FA	13
2000	Azizul Kamaluddin	Pahang FA	12
1999	Azman Adnan	Penang FA	13
1998	Vyatcheslav Melnikov	Pahang FA	17
1997	Laszlo Repasi	Perak FA	19
1996	Scott Ollerenshaw	Sabah FA	18
1995	Scott Ollerenshaw	Sabah FA	22
1994	Mohd Hashim Mustapha	Kelantan FA	25
1993	Mohd Hashim Mustapha	Kelantan FA	13
1992	Zainal Abidin Hassan	Pahang FA	12
1991	Abbas Saad	Johor FA	11
1990	Alistair Edwards	Singapore	13
1989	Zainal Abidin Hassan	Selangor FA	12

[edit] Records

Below are the record of teams in Malaysian football competitions since 1921 till present.

Team	Super League Malaysia	Premier League Malaysia	Malaysia FA Cup	Malaysia Cup	Malaysia Charity Shield	AFC Cup	AFC Champions League	Total of Champion(s)
Selangor FA	4 (2)	2	5 (2)	32 (15)	7 (4)	-	(1)	49
Singapore	2 (2)	-	-	24 (19)	1 (1)	-	-	27
Kedah FA	3 (4)	3	3	4 (6)	2 (3)	-	-	15
Perak FA	2 (1)	(1)	2	7 (11)	3	-	-	14
Kuala Lumpur FA	2	-	3 (1)	3 (1)	3 (4)	-	-	11
Pahang FA	5 (3)	-	1 (1)	2 (4)	2 (4)	-	-	10
Penang FA	3 (3)	-	1 (2)	4 (9)	1	-	-	9
Johor FA	1 (1)	1	1	2(1)	1 (2)	-	-	6
Perlis FA	1 (1)	1	(3)	2 (1)	2 (1)	-	-	6
Terengganu FA	(2)	2	1 (2)	1 (3)	1 (1)	-	-	5
Negeri Sembilan FA	1 (1)	1	1	1 (2)	(1)	-	-	4
Sarawak FA	1	-	1 (2)	(1)	1 (1)	-	-	3
Selangor MPPJ	-	1	-	1	1	-	-	3
Sabah FA	1	(1)	1 (3)	(3)	(1)	-	-	2
Malacca FA	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Kelantan FA	-	1	(1)	(3)	-	-	-	1
Brunei	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	1
PDRM FA	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	1
Johor FC	(1)	1	-	-	-	-	-	1
Public Bank FC	(1)	1	-	-	-	-	-	1
ATM FA	-	-	-	(2)	-	-	-	-
Kuala Muda Naza FC	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	1
UPB-MyTeam FC	-	(1)	-	-	-	-	-	-
Melaka TMFC	(1)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Table shows teams' wins in all competitions
Numbers in bracket shows runner-up finishes in competitions
The figures in bold represent the most times this competition has been won by the team

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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