Malaysia M4 League
 | |
| Organising body | Malaysian Football League |
|---|---|
| Founded | March 2018 |
| Country | Malaysia |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of teams | various |
| Level on pyramid | 4 |
| Promotion to | Malaysia M3 League |
| Relegation to | Malaysia M5 League |
| Domestic cup(s) | FA Cup FAM Cup |
| Current champions | KSR SAINS (1st title) (2019) |
| Most championships | KSR SAINS (1st title) |
| TV partners | Vnow.TV |
The Malaysia M4 League (Malay: Liga M4 Malaysia) is a fourth tier state level football league competition in the Malaysian football league system.[1] The league was created in 2018 as part of the Malaysian Football League's plan to reform the Malaysian football league structure.
After a rebranding of the Malaysian Football League (MFL) in March 2018, the company announced a reform of lower league competitions in Malaysia.[2][3] In 2019, a new subsidiary of the company was formed, known as the Amateur Football League (AFL) which was tasked to manage the third division and below.[4] The AFL officially confirmed the formation of the Malaysia M3 League and Malaysia M4 League as the third and fourth divisions of the Malaysian football league system.[5]
A total of 14 clubs were confirmed to compete in the inaugural season of the newly reformed third division, the Malaysia M3 League, which replaced the former Malaysia FAM League while the 5 FA State Leagues and 9 Social Leagues ran in parallel to form the Malaysia M4 League.[5]
History[]
Origins[]
Football arrived in Malaysia (British Malaya at that time) courtesy of the British. The locals soon picked up the game, and before long it was the country's leading and most popular sport. Towards the end of the 19th century, football was one of the central pillars of most sports clubs in Malaya. However, it was not structured. Even when the Selangor Amateur Football League (SAFL) took shape in 1905 – which ensured proper administration and organisation – the competition was confined only to clubs in Kuala Lumpur.
The earliest recorded state football league took place in Penang, where YMCA won the league in 1909.[6] The other earliest recorded winners of state football leagues were Johor in 1922 (P.W.D.A.A.), Malacca in 1929 (Malacca Chinese FA), Negeri Sembilan in 1929 (Nilai Club), Perak in 1932 (Perak Chinese RC) and Selangor in 1935 (Rangers).[6] Alongside the leagues, cup competitions also took place.[6]
By 1933 the administration for the football in Malaya was founded as the Football Association of Malaya (FAM), which managed the local football scene at that time.[7] By 1954, the FAM joined FIFA as a member of the AFC.
Malaysia consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea, with eleven states and two federal territories (Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya) in Peninsular Malaysia, and two states and one federal territory (Labuan) in East Malaysia (Borneo). Each state has its own sets of football leagues, and some may have multiple divisions with promotion and relegation rules among them.[8] All leagues in all states run in parallel.
The leagues have a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between league divisions at different levels, allowing even the smallest club the hypothetical possibility of ultimately rising to the very top of the system. The exact number of clubs varies from year to year as clubs join and leave leagues or fold altogether, but an estimated average of 10 clubs per division implies that hundreds of teams are members of a league in the Malaysian men's football league system.
For the 2021 season, the AFL has announced the format changes for the Malaysia M3 and M4 Leagues in preparation for the transition to semi-professional status.
Overview[]
The state football league systems consists of a pyramid of leagues, bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation. A certain number of the most successful clubs in each league can rise to a higher league, whilst those that finish at the bottom of their league can find themselves sinking to lower leagues. In addition to sporting performance, promotion is usually contingent on meeting criteria set by the higher league, especially concerning appropriate facilities and finances.
The top three levels contain one division each and are nationwide in scope. Below this, the levels have progressively more parallel leagues, which each cover progressively smaller geographic areas. Many leagues have more than one division. At the lower levels the existence of leagues becomes intermittent. There are also leagues in various parts of the country which are not officially part of the system as they do not have formal agreements with the football associations and are run by independent organizers.
Clubs from state leagues may, if they feel they meet the appropriate standard of play and have suitable facilities, apply to join a league which does form part of the system.
State level competition[]
A state level competition is contested in 13 different states and three federal territories in Malaysia.[9][6][10][11][12][13][14] While some states have an active league with a multiple divisions, others might be dormant or might only have a short duration cup competition in its place.[10] The reason for the lack of a proper league system in some states and federal territories are due to the lack of proper management, marketing and funding from the football association in charge.
District level competition[]
A district level competition is contested among clubs in the districts located in each state in Malaysia.[13][15][16] It is run by the district football associations. Only certain districts currently have known and active leagues or cup competitions in place.
Malaysia M4 League Seasons[]
Here you can view the season's in more detail
2018[]
2019[]
Club Champions[]
2018[]
| # | Teams | League |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BTK FC | Terengganu Amateur League |
| 2 | Batu Dua FC | South Selangor League |
| 3 | DDM FC | Selangor Social Premier League |
| 4 | Glory United | Subang Football League |
| 5 | Johor Bahru FA | Sultan's of Johor Cup |
| 6 | DD Social League | |
| 7 | Kuantan FA | Sultan's of Pahang Cup |
| 8 | Penjara F.C. | PBNS President Cup League |
| 9 | Protap | Shah Alam League |
| 10 | Puchong Fuerza FC | Puchong Community League |
| 11 | SAMB F.C. | Liga Melaka Division 1 |
| 12 | Kuala Lumpur Super League | |
| 13 | Shah Sports League | |
| 14 | Ultimate | AXA Klang Valley League |
| 15 | Sunarize Soccer League |
2019[]
| # | Teams | League |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liga Melaka Division 1 | |
| 2 | Subang Football League | |
| 3 | DRB-Hicom | Kuala Lumpur Super League |
| 4 | Kerteh F.C. | Terengganu Amateur League |
| 5 | Federal Territory Amateur League | |
| 6 | Shah Alam League | |
| 7 | Shah Amateur League | |
| 8 | Puchong Community League | |
| 9 | Liga THB-KFA | |
| 10 | Klang Valley League M4 | |
| 11 | Sunarize Soccer League | |
| 12 | Selangor Social Premier League | |
| 13 | KSR SAINS | PBNS President Cup League |
| 14 | Johor Darul Ta’zim League | |
| 15 | Tambun Tulang FC | Perlis Amateur League |
| 16 | Mahsa M4 League | |
| 17 | Liga Alumni |
Promotion and relegation rules for the top four levels[]
- Malaysia Super League (level 1, 12 teams): The bottom two teams are relegated.
- Malaysia Premier League (level 2, 12 teams): The top two automatically promoted. The bottom two are relegated.
- Malaysia M3 League (level 3, 14 teams): The top two teams are automatically promoted. Sometimes, teams might withdraw for financial reason and might be given permission to play in their State Leagues.
- Malaysia M4 League (level 4, unlimited clubs).
League system[]
The table below shows the current structure of the system. For each division, its official name, sponsorship name (which differs from its historic name) and number of clubs is given. At levels 1–3, each division promotes to the division(s) that lie directly above it and relegates to the division(s) that lie directly below it. Below that level, individual league articles detail promotion and relegation arrangements.
Unlike most countries that play football as a main game, the league system in Malaysia still consists of representatives from state associations, clubs from companies, ministries or government agencies.
The Malaysia M4 League is at level 4 of the pyramid that is made up of a combination of leagues consisting of state FA leagues, social leagues and community leagues in Malaysia. They are administered and operated by their state football associations or independent operators. The level immediately above is the Malaysia M3 League. The divisions included are:
| States & Federal Territories | Operated by | Level 4 | Level 5 | Level 6 | Level 7 | Level 8 | Level 9 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Perlis
|
FA Perlis | N/A | |||||||
 Kedah
|
FA Kedah | Liga THB-KFA | N/A | ||||||
 Penang
|
FA Penang | N/A | |||||||
 Perak
|
N/A | ||||||||
 Selangor
|
FA Selangor | FAS Super League | FAS Premier League | FAS League Division One | FAS League Division Two | ||||
| AXA Klang Valley League KVL Division 1 | KVL (City Center) Division 2 | KVL (City Center) Division 3 | N/A | ||||||
| KVL (Petaling Jaya) Division 2 | KVL (Petaling Jaya) Division 3 | KVL (Petaling Jaya) Division 4 | N/A | ||||||
| KVL (Cyberjaya) Division 2 | KVL (Cyberjaya) Division 3 | N/A | |||||||
| KVL (Shah Alam) Division 2 | KVL (Shah Alam) Division 3 | N/A | |||||||
| N/A | |||||||||
| Subang Football League | N/A | ||||||||
| Sunarize Soccer League Division 2 | N/A | ||||||||
| SSPL (Gombak) Division 2 | N/A | ||||||||
| SSPL (Damansara) Division 2 | N/A | ||||||||
| N/A | |||||||||
| N/A | |||||||||
| N/A | |||||||||
 Federal Territories
|
FA Kuala Lumpur | KL Super League | KL League Division Two | N/A | |||||
| DD Social League | N/A | ||||||||
 Negeri Sembilan
|
FA Negeri Sembilan | N/A | |||||||
 Melaka
|
FA Melaka | Melaka League Division One | Melaka League Division Two | Melaka League Division Three | N/A | ||||
 Johor
|
FA Johor | Johor Darul Ta’zim League | N/A | ||||||
 Pahang
|
FA Pahang | N/A | |||||||
 Terengganu
|
Terengganu Amateur Super League | Terengganu Amateur Premier League | N/A | ||||||
 Kelantan
|
FA Kelantan | N/A | |||||||
 Sabah
|
N/A | ||||||||
 Sarawak
|
N/A | ||||||||
- Note: League names highlighted in bold are level 4 football leagues in the Malaysian football pyramid
Play-off Champions & Runners-up[]
| Year | Champion | Runners-up | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | KSR SAINS | IKRAM Muda | 1–0[17] | |
| 2020 | cancelled and declared null and void due to COVID-19 pandemic | |||
See also[]
- Liga Semi-Pro
- Liga Premier
- Liga Super
- Piala FA
- Piala Malaysia
- FAM Football Awards
References[]
- ^ "14 State and Social League Organisers Sign Agreement to Join M5 League". Johor Southern Tigers. 24 March 2018. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ Rizar Mohd Noor (25 March 2018). "TMJ: Thank you Malaysian football and goodbye". New Straits Times. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ "Johor crown prince resigns as FAM President, appointed as Malaysia Football League chairman". Bernama. Channel NewsAsia. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ Zulhilmi Zainal (25 March 2018). "14 amateur leagues confirmed as part of inaugural Malaysian tier five season". Goal.com. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ a b "14 pasukan sedia bersaing di Liga M3 Malaysia 2019" (in Malay). Fox Sports Malaysia. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Malaysia - List of Regional Champions and Cup Winners". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ "Association Information [Football Association of Malaysia]". FIFA. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ "Liga M musim baru mula November". Utusan Malaysia (in Malay). 21 August 2007. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ "Juara KL tapi tak dapat masuk liga FAM" (in Malay). Malaysiakini. 16 December 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ a b "14 Daerah Berentap Rebut Piala Presiden PAFA 2016" (in Malay). Perak Today. 17 August 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ "Liga Perak Amanjaya 2015 : Platform Cungkil Bakat Tempatan" (in Malay). Perak Today. 15 September 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ Y.P. Sivam (24 November 2015). "Kota Raja left out of the league". The Star. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ a b Mohd Zulkifli Zainuddin (10 January 2016). "Piala Datuk Sri Vida mampu cari pemain pelapis" (in Malay). Berita Harian. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ Mahirah Zakaria (16 December 2016). "JMM FC kesal tindakan tak profesional KLFA" (in Malay). Agenda Daily. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ "SUK Perak Johan Liga PBI" (in Malay). Perak State Government. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ "Perak tubuh PKNP FC, sasar Piala FAM, Liga Perdana". Bernama (in Malay). Berita Harian. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ "Liga M3 2020 KSR SAINS tak mahu jadi pasukan cukup syarat". Semuanya Bola.
External links[]
| National teams |
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| League competitions |
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| Cup competitions |
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- History of football in Malaysia
- Football leagues in Malaysia