KUALA LUMPUR – Parents should think twice before enrolling their children in football academies or clinics promoted through flashy social media campaigns or by individuals making high-profile football claims, warns Football Coaches Association of Malaysia (FCAM) president Datuk Ong Kim Swee.
His caution comes amid growing concerns over a foreign coach promoting football clinics in Malaysia, prompting questions over whether the programmes have received the necessary approval from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
Speaking to Scoop, the former Harimau Malaya head coach urged parents to thoroughly verify the credentials of coaches and academies before entrusting them with their children’s football development, warning that appearances and reputation alone should never be the deciding factor.
“To all parents, my advice is simple – please be very careful before enrolling your children in any football academy or football clinic. Every parent wants the best opportunities for their child, but do not make your decision based solely on advertisements, social media posts or claims made by individuals.
“Take the time to check who is running the programme, what their coaching background is, whether their qualifications are genuine, and whether the academy has been properly established and recognised.
“Ask questions, do your homework and ensure the people entrusted with developing your children are credible and properly certified. At the end of the day, parents have a responsibility to ensure their children are learning in a safe, structured and professional environment under coaches with the right experience, qualifications and integrity,” he said.
Kim Swee’s remarks follow scrutiny surrounding Kenny Latham, who has been advertising football clinics in Malaysia through social media while seeking coaching opportunities in the country.
According to his self-published profile, Latham was a Liverpool apprentice between 1982 and 1984 before playing professionally in Portugal, Scotland and the United States. He claims to have obtained a UEFA A Licence in 2001, currently operates a football academy in Bali and serves as head coach of the Indonesian National Military team.
In one of his social media posts, Latham said he would be in Malaysia for several weeks while sorting out his Indonesian visa and was looking for coaching work to cover his expenses. The post has raised questions over whether the football clinics being promoted have obtained the necessary sanction from FAM.
While stressing that Malaysia welcomes qualified foreign coaches, Kim Swee said no individual should be allowed to conduct football-related activities without first complying with FAM’s regulations.
“I am not saying foreigners cannot come to Malaysia. They certainly can, but they must follow the proper guidelines that have been set.”
He explained that locally licensed coaches are required to register with FCAM, while football academies are expected to be registered under FAM’s charter programme to ensure proper governance and oversight.
Foreign coaches, he added, must also have their coaching qualifications and professional background verified before they are allowed to operate in Malaysia.
“Whenever a foreign coach comes to Malaysia, we need to verify them. We need to certify how long they have been working and what licence they hold.
“If somebody is from South America, for example, we need to determine whether their certificates are genuine. These are the things we need to certify on our side before allowing them to operate,” he said.
Kim Swee said the same rules apply regardless of whether an individual is a former professional footballer, an overseas coach or a representative of a foreign academy.
“Whatever programme anybody wants to conduct in Malaysia, they must first apply for sanction from FAM. They cannot simply come from abroad without informing or officially writing to FAM.
“It does not matter whether you are a former professional player, a foreign coach or someone representing an overseas academy – everyone must go through the same process.”
He said the approval process is intended to safeguard coaching standards and protect parents and aspiring footballers from misleading claims.
“FAM needs to verify your qualifications, certify your coaching credentials and understand the objectives of the programme before approval is given. These procedures are not meant to stop people from contributing to Malaysian football, but to ensure coaching standards are maintained and to protect players, parents and the wider football community from misleading claims or unverified credentials.
“We cannot allow just anybody to come into Malaysia and organise football programmes without first going through the proper channels and obtaining the necessary approval,” he said. – July 29, 2026