KUALA LUMPUR — The Malaysian Football League (MFL) has defended its handling of the M-League player registration process, saying all decisions were made in accordance with existing regulations and established procedures.
In a statement today, MFL said it respected the right of supporters and other stakeholders to raise concerns but stressed that such issues should be assessed based on facts, regulations and the processes already in place to avoid confusion.
On the registration of naturalised and heritage players, MFL said the two categories have different statuses and are subject to separate verification processes.
For M-League registration purposes, players who hold Malaysian citizenship and submit valid identification documents may be registered as local players, subject to the applicable regulations and requirements.
MFL said this is clearly stipulated in the 2025-2026 M-League Manual, particularly Clause 4.5.9, as well as Article 3 of the Registration and Transfer System for Officials and Players and the Football Association of Malaysia’s MYPAS (FIFA CONNECT) system.
“Based on the documents submitted to MFL, the players in question are Malaysian citizens and possess valid identity cards. Therefore, they were registered as local players in accordance with the Malaysia League registration regulations currently in force,” it said.
MFL also clarified its decision to increase the local-player registration quota by five for all clubs for the 2026-2027 season, saying the move was approved by its Board of Directors following requests from Kuching City FC and Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT).
Instead of granting the additional quota only to the two clubs, the board decided to extend it to all participating teams to ensure consistency and competitive balance across the league.
The move was also intended to create more opportunities for Malaysian players to be registered and secure places in their respective squads.
MFL said the decision was made while the first registration window for the 2026-2027 season remained open until Sept 3, allowing all clubs to reassess their squad requirements and make use of the additional quota.
The league organiser also defended the special approval given to Kuala Lumpur City FC (KL City) to register a minimum of 12 players for their Super League match against Kuching City FC on Aug 26.
MFL said the decision was based on the specific circumstances faced by KL City at the time, particularly the club’s efforts to settle outstanding salary-related matters with FIFA and secure the lifting of a transfer ban that had restricted its ability to register sufficient players.
The situation arose after KL City sought to postpone their Super League match against Negeri Sembilan FC on Aug 22, after reporting that 13 players and two team officials had been infected with influenza.
At the time of its postponement request, KL City had only 12 registered players, including one goalkeeper.
The club subsequently failed to fulfil the fixture, resulting in Negeri Sembilan being awarded a 3-0 victory and three points. KL City were also fined RM50,000 and ordered to pay compensation and related costs as determined by MFL.
MFL stressed that the special approval granted to KL City should not be interpreted as a general amendment to, or waiver of, the M-League’s player registration requirements. – September 8, 2026