KUALA LUMPUR: Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh believes that the issue concerning heritage-status players in the national football squad, raised by certain parties, should not be blown out of proportion.
She said that heritage players were also individuals with blood ties to Malaysians, thus making them eligible to don the national jersey.
“So if heritage players can strengthen the national team’s performance, I see no issue with it because they are also Malaysians.
“We must support them, and this also reflects our recent struggle in Parliament to amend the Federal Constitution so that Malaysian women who give birth abroad can pass on citizenship to their children,” she said at a press conference after launching the new season of the Sepak Takraw League (STL) here today.
Previously, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) faced criticism for allegedly relying too heavily on heritage players and foreign expertise in shaping the Harimau Malaya squad.
Hannah said what mattered most now was to ensure the players felt at home with the local football fans backing them.
The Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail, also expressed dissatisfaction with the ongoing criticism aimed at efforts to advance the country’s football scene, including the involvement of heritage players.