KUALA LUMPUR — Brunei’s DPMM FC has been officially confirmed as an invited club for the 2025–2026 Malaysian Super League season, set to kick off in August.
The Malaysian Football League (MFL) announced the inclusion of DPMM FC after receiving approval from FIFA, allowing the club to compete in Malaysia’s top-tier professional league.
“DPMM FC is no stranger to Malaysian football,” said the MFL in a statement.
“The Bruneian side first featured in the Malaysia Cup in 1979, followed by participation in the Semi-Pro League in 1989. Before adopting their current name, the team lifted the Malaysia Cup in 1999 with a 2-1 win over Sarawak at Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, and finished third in the 2005–2006 Super League season.”
In addition to DPMM FC, 13 other clubs have been granted national licences for the upcoming season by the First Instance Body (FIB) yesterday.
The licensed clubs include: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), Selangor FC, Sabah FC, Terengganu FC, Penang FC, Kuching City FC, Sri Pahang FC, Negeri Sembilan FC, Kuala Lumpur City FC, PDRM FC, Kelantan Darul Naim FC (granted a licence with sanction), and newly promoted A1 League sides Melaka FC and Imigresen FC.
Perak FC and Kedah Darul Aman FC were notably absent from the list, having failed in their national licence applications due to unresolved financial arrears.
In a related development, the MFL confirmed the full implementation of Financial Fair Play (FFP) measures this season, including the introduction of an 80% salary cap mechanism.
“Under this rule, clubs are prohibited from spending more than 80% of their total annual budget on player and staff salaries.
“This is an important step to control club expenditure to avoid burdening cash flow and to prioritise consistent salary payments.
“This MFL initiative aims to ensure that every Super League team is in a stable and sustainable financial condition,” MFL stated.
Monitoring will involve two mandatory submissions — Budget Submission and Pre-Season Submission — as well as five periodic submissions throughout the campaign.
Interim financial statements, income and expenditure records, and declarations confirming no outstanding payments to staff and related agencies will be thoroughly reviewed by the FFP Unit.
Failure to comply with the MFL Financial Fair Play Regulations (2025–2026 edition) will result in disciplinary action, the league organiser warned. — May 23, 2025