FOR football in the country to grow, political and personal agendas should be put aside, said Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) owner, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.
The Tunku Mahkota of Johor made his thoughts known after many teams suffered financially following the suspension of the M-League (since March 16) due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This has led to many teams owing players, coaches and other staff up to five months in salaries. Among the factors cited were change in management and loss of revenues.
However, many felt that the teams would not have been so badly affected if they were better managed by competent officials.
For JDT, their players, coaches and staff were able to agree to a 33 per cent salary reduction, with a portion going to the state's disaster fund, much in the same charitable spirit of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysian football is reminded that for teams to be able to sustain themselves financially in the face of crises, a team need to have strong leadership committed to the good of football and its development, and not other motives.
"Each club must have their own identity, must be very creative in terms of their own ideas and not just copy JDT or what we are doing," said Tunku Ismail.
"They can use JDT as an example but, at the end of the day, they must find their own philosophy. As long as they are comfortable with the government's backing and or have wrong individuals in positions at their clubs, they will never go anywhere.
"Unless they have the right guy who's fulltime with no other agendas, just wants to work for football and considers it a profession, then it will work.
"But if someone had been put there for other reasons, then it will never work," said Tunku Ismail.
The former FA of Malaysia president admitted that at JDT, he is surrounded by individuals who work for football and dare to challenge his ideas.
"In JDT, they are all football people, they have something in common with the owner, that is myself. I love football, they love football," said Tunku Ismail.
"They have experience in football and I'm the guy who likes to learn, to be innovative, take risks. Sometimes they even tell me: 'I don't think this will work,' and they are surprised when it works.
"We, somehow, fill in that gap in terms of each other's weaknesses and turn it into strengths. So, their knowledge, their experience plus my determination, knowledge and hunger for success somehow moulded into a good project."
Tunku Ismail is also a believer of actions speaking louder than words, which is why his "passion project" that started with the club's rebranding in 2013, has produced six Super League titles, five Charity Shields, two Malaysia Cups and an FA Cup.
JDT are also the first team in Southeast Asia to win the AFC Cup after beating Tajikistan's Istiklol 1-0 in the final in Dushanbe in 2015.