KUALA LUMPUR – Salaries for footballers have become a hot topic in the Malaysian football community, as foreign players consistently earn more than local players in their respective clubs.
According to sources, salary disparities among footballers have also occurred within the Harimau Malaya team, with players being paid unequally.
A well-placed source in the football fraternity has revealed that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has been overpaying naturalised players while underpaying allowances for local footballers.
“FAM has been paying naturalised players in the Harimau Malaya squad more, often due to pressure from their respective clubs, which includes clauses in their contracts.
“Naturalised players typically receive a daily allowance of RM600 to RM800 when called up to the national team, allowing them to earn up to RM6,000 to RM8,000 over a 10-day national camp.
“Conversely, local players only receive approximately RM200 to RM300 per day when called up, resulting in total earnings of RM2,000 to RM3,000 at the national camp.
“Most naturalised players are highly paid by FAM to maintain a good relationship with their respective clubs, ensuring the clubs release the players for national team duty when called upon, as only the clubs have the authority to release or reject their players from national team duty,” the source said.
Speaking to Scoop, former Malaysian footballer Hairuddin Omar, popularly known as Hai-O, stated that all player allowances should be equal during the national camp as they contribute equally to Harimau Malaya’s performance on the pitch.
“Allowances for players should be even, without any double standards. All players give their 100% when representing Malaysia, from the goalkeeper to the centre forward, and they should be equally valued for their hard work.
“During my time, even the coaches were paid at the same level as the players during call-ups. I hope that FAM continues this approach and avoids favouritism towards any players on the national team,” the former player added.
According to www.transfermarkt.com, Selangor FC’s Faisal Halim, who also plays as a winger for Harimau Malaya, is currently the highest-paid local footballer in Malaysia, with a monthly salary of RM120,000.
Johor Darul Takzim’s Jordi Amat is the highest-paid foreign player in Malaysia, with a monthly salary of RM390,000. – October 27, 2023