KUALA LUMPUR — The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is facing backlash from Harimau Malaya supporters after raising the cheapest adult ticket for Sunday’s ASEAN Cup semi-final against Vietnam by nearly 67 per cent.
FAM announced today that general admission tickets for the first-leg clash at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras will cost RM50, up from RM30 for Malaysia’s group-stage matches.
The price increase has sparked criticism among supporters, with many questioning why they should pay significantly more to watch the national team at the Cheras venue.
Some said the RM50 price would be more understandable if the match were being played at the TM National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
FAM has also priced Grandstand tickets at RM70 and VIP tickets at RM100, while children’s general admission tickets remain at RM5.
The first leg will be played at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium on Sunday, with Malaysia travelling to Hanoi for the return leg at My Dinh National Stadium on Aug 19.
The ticket hike quickly became a talking point on FAM’s Instagram page, with supporters accusing the association of losing sight of fans at a time when Harimau Malaya needed their backing.
Instagram user hafiyyan00 questioned the decision to raise the cheapest ticket to RM50.
“It’s not that I can’t afford it, but RM50 to watch a match in Cheras feels too expensive. If it had gone up to RM35, that would have been fine.”
Another supporter, izuanzikry, summed up the frustration by writing: “Price like watching at Bukit Jalil.”
User afif.iskandar also compared the current pricing with Malaysia’s previous matches at the national stadium.
“Back in 2018, RM50 was acceptable because the match was at Bukit Jalil. This is RM50 to watch in Cheras — definitely not.”
Mioraqil questioned whether FAM had taken the venue into consideration when setting the ticket prices.
“If it was at Bukit Jalil, a price like this would be understandable. But it’s in Cheras — FAM should think about it.”
Another supporter, zainal_abidin599, said maintaining the group-stage ticket prices could have encouraged more fans to attend.
“Suddenly the prices have gone up. They should have kept the same prices from the earlier rounds so more supporters would come out to support Harimau Malaya.”
The criticism was equally strong on Facebook, with some supporters linking the increase to the strong turnout during the group stage.
Facebook user Md Fz Zd accused FAM of raising prices after seeing large crowds at Malaysia’s earlier matches.
“At first, when they were worried about Ultras Malaya’s boycott, tickets were RM30. Once they saw supporters turning up and the stadium was full, they went into money-making mode and raised the price to RM50. It’s only the KL Stadium in Cheras. If it were Bukit Jalil, then it would be worth it.”
Another Facebook user, Abok Manok, suggested the price increase could even fuel renewed calls for supporters to stay away.
“Looks like Ultras Malaya’s mission to empty the stadium this time could become a reality.”
The backlash puts FAM under pressure to explain the rationale behind the increase, particularly as the national team enters the knockout stage and supporters are expected to play a key role in creating a home advantage against Vietnam.
The semi-final comes after strong support for Harimau Malaya during the group stage, making the decision to raise ticket prices likely to remain a contentious issue ahead of Sunday’s clash.
Scoop has contacted FAM for an explanation on the ticket increase and the concerns raised by supporters, but calls to the association went unanswered as of publication. — August 11, 2026