KUALA LUMPUR: The Football Association of Malaysia's (FAM) naturalisation programme for the national team remains suspended.
Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim told the Dewan Rakyat that naturalisation of players could only be done for Malaysian Football League clubs.
Even then, the programme is subject to adherence to government guidelines and procedures.
He said naturalised players have provided competition to local players vying for a spot in the national squad, known as Harimau Malaya/
"Their presence significantly uplifts the standard of Malaysian team performances, a fact evident in our current international rankings," he said.
He was responding to a question from Jimmy Puah (PH-Tebrau) on FAM's efforts to improve the quality of football and whether the naturalisation programme will continue.
On Aug 18, 2021, the naturalisation programme came to a halt after Harimau Malaya failed in their bid to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
The programme drew flak after nationalised players Guilherme de Paula (Brazil) and Liridon Krasniqi (Kosovo) failed to impress on the international stage.
Adam also said that the National Football Development Programme, initiated in 2014, will continue improving football in the country.
"The current efforts by the ministry, in partnership with the National Sports Council and FAM are focused on development.
"This long-term initiative centres around nine critical initiatives aimed at cultivating a pool of internationally competitive football players, with aspirations including participation in the World Cup.
To date, 16,228 players and 767 coaches across 63 district training centres, 14 state sports schools, and the Mokhtar Dahari Academy have been involved in the initiative.