KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia should take a leaf out of China’s book by first gauging public opinion before moving to naturalise foreign athletes, says senior sports analyst Datuk Pekan Ramli.
Despite China’s ambition to become a global sporting powerhouse by 2050, Pekan pointed out that the country rejected the idea of adopting naturalisation as a national sports policy after the majority of its citizens opposed it.
“China could easily naturalise the best footballers in the world to achieve President Xi Jinping’s dream of winning the World Cup, but they chose to prioritise their people’s voice and the identity of their homegrown athletes. That’s the kind of conviction we need,” he told Scoop when contacted.
Pekan was responding to remarks by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, who said her ministry does not prohibit the use of naturalised players or athletes in sports other than football, provided they meet the criteria set by the relevant sports bodies and have legitimate citizenship approval from the Home Affairs Ministry.
Hannah stressed that such recruitment must not undermine the development of local talent, saying that naturalisation is intended to strengthen national teams and boost sporting performance.
She added that several sports — including weightlifting, diving, shooting, athletics and tennis — have previously fielded naturalised athletes, in line with the rules of their respective international bodies.
While acknowledging that naturalisation is permitted in international sport, Pekan argued that it should not automatically become a national policy without proper scrutiny.
“This is not a decision for the minister alone to determine or announce. It should be debated and approved in Parliament. But before that, KBS should run a public survey to measure support for such a move,” he said.
He emphasised that citizenship matters fall under the purview of the Home Ministry but insisted that public opinion must be respected.
“If the majority of Malaysians disagree, then we should not proceed with the policy. Every citizen has the right to have a say, especially in matters that affect our sporting identity,” he said.
Pekan also warned against National Sports Associations (NSAs) taking the “short-cut” route of bringing in heritage or naturalised players without adequate efforts to develop local talent.
“Approval should be on a case-by-case basis, and only if the NSA has exhausted all avenues in talent development. We cannot have associations that do nothing locally but chase quick results by importing talent. That will harm our sports ecosystem in the long run,” he said. – August 11, 2025