Malaysia M4 League
The Malaysia M4 League (Malay: Liga M4 Malaysia), also known as the al-ikhsan Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the third tier football league 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.
| Organising body | Malaysian Football League |
|---|---|
| Founded | March 2018 |
| Country | Malaysia |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of teams | 15 (2023) |
| Level on pyramid | 3 (2023) |
| Promotion to | MBSB Bank Championship |
| Relegation to | Malaysia M5 League |
| Domestic cup(s) | FA Cup |
| Current champions | UiTM United (1st title) (2023) |
| Most championships | SAINS FC (1st title) UiTM United (1st title) |
| TV partners | Vnow.TV (selected matches) YouTube (online streaming) |
| Current: 2023 Malaysia M4 League | |
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]
Starting in 2023, the Malaysia M4 League will renew its format as it will be a nationwide-single league, participated by champions of AFL-approved state or district leagues from Malaysia M5 League and relegated teams from Malaysia M3 League.
History
Origins
Football arrived in Malaysia (British Malaya at that time) as 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 M4 league were part of the Malaysian football pyramid of leagues, bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation. A certain number of the most successful clubs in each state FA, social and community M5 league can rise to this division, whilst those that finish at the bottom of M3 league can find themselves relegate to this league. In addition to sporting performance, promotion is usually contingent on meeting criteria set by the higher league, especially concerning appropriate facilities and finances.
Clubs
2023
Below are the list of clubs who will join the 2023 season, based on the status gained from 2022 Malaysia M3 League and 2022 Malaysia M5 League.
| # | Teams | League |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AS United | 2022 S-Ligue M5 Sarawak champion |
| 2 | Bunga Raya FC | 2022 Nogori M5 League quarter-finalist |
| 3 | CF Kuantan City | 2022 Kuantan Amateur League runners-up |
| 4 | Cyberfox FC | 2022 Nogori M5 League 2 semi-finalist |
| 5 | JAKIM FC | 2022 Putrajaya League champion |
| 6 | Machan FC | Invited team |
| 7 | MAHSA City | 2022 Liga Mahsa-Kronos M5 runners-up |
| 8 | Maqarize FC | Invited team |
| 9 | MP Port Dickson | 2022 Nogori M5 League champion |
| 10 | Mukah Youth Team | 2022 Ligue M5 Bintulu semi-finalist |
| 11 | Real Chukai | 2022 Malaysia M3 League relegated team |
| 12 | Republic of Borneo | 2022 Liga Mahsa-Kronos M5 champion |
| 13 | Susun Tenaga Resources FC | Invited team |
| 14 | UiTM United | 2022 Malaysia Premier League |
| 15 | Wan Tendong Stable FC | Invited team |
| 16 | YP Maintenance FC | 2022 Kuantan Amateur League champion |
Promotion and relegation rules for the top four levels
- Malaysia Super League (level 1, 14 teams): The bottom two teams are relegated. No relegation for 2023 season.
- Malaysia M2 League (level 2, 12 teams): The top two automatically promoted. The bottom two are relegated. The league not running in 2023
- Malaysia M3 League (level 3, 14 teams): The top two teams are automatically promoted to Super League. Sometimes, teams might withdraw for financial reasons and might be given permission to play in their State Leagues.
- Malaysia M4 League (level 4, 15 clubs).
League system 2019
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 1–4, 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 was made up of a combination of leagues consisting of state FA leagues, social leagues and community leagues in Malaysia back in 2019. They are administered and operated by their state football associations or independent operators. The level immediately above is the Malaysia M3 League.
The various state FA leagues, social leagues and community leagues were later demoted to a division below called Malaysia M5 League in 2022 to make way for a proper single league stage in 2023 which included teams that been relegated from M3 League and champions of various state M5 Leagues. The divisions included are:
| States & Federal Territories | Operated by | Level 4 | Level 5 | Level 6 | Level 7 | Level 8 | Level 9 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Perlis |
FA Perlis | Perlis Amateur League | — | ||||||
 Kedah |
FA Kedah | Liga THB-KFA | — | ||||||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Penang |
FA Penang | FAP League Division 1 | FAP League Division 2 | FAP League Division 3 | — | ||||
 Perak |
— | ||||||||
 Selangor |
FA Selangor | Selangor Champions League | FAS Super League | FAS Premier League | FAS League Division One | FAS League Division Two | Joma FAS League | ||
| AXA Klang Valley League KVL Division 1 | KVL (City Center) Division 2 | KVL (City Center) Division 3 | — | ||||||
| KVL (Petaling Jaya) Division 2 | KVL (Petaling Jaya) Division 3 | KVL (Petaling Jaya) Division 4 | — | ||||||
| KVL (Cyberjaya) Division 2 | KVL (Cyberjaya) Division 3 | — | |||||||
| KVL (Shah Alam) Division 2 | KVL (Shah Alam) Division 3 | — | |||||||
| Shah Alam League | — | ||||||||
| Subang Football League | — | ||||||||
| Sunarize Soccer League | Sunarize Soccer League Division 2 | — | |||||||
| Selangor Social Premier League | SSPL (Gombak) Division 2 | — | |||||||
| SSPL (Damansara) Division 2 | — | ||||||||
| Puchong Community League | — | ||||||||
| South Selangor League | — | ||||||||
| Shah Sport League | — | ||||||||
 Federal Territories |
FA Kuala Lumpur | Kuala Lumpur Champions League | KL Super League | KL League Division Two | — | ||||
| DD Social League | KL Social League 2 | — | |||||||
 Negeri Sembilan |
FA Negeri Sembilan | PBNS President Cup League | — | ||||||
 Melaka |
FA Melaka | Melaka League Division One | Melaka League Division Two | Melaka League Division Three | — | ||||
 Johor |
FA Johor | Johor Darul Ta’zim League | — | ||||||
 Pahang |
FA Pahang | Sultan Pahang League | — | ||||||
 Terengganu |
Terengganu Amateur Super League | Terengganu Amateur Premier League | — | ||||||
 Kelantan |
FA Kelantan | Kelantan Football League | — | ||||||
 Sabah |
— | ||||||||
 Sarawak |
— | ||||||||
- Note: League names highlighted in bold are level 4 football leagues in the Malaysian football pyramid
Play-off champions and runners-up
| Year | Champion | Runners-up | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | KSR SAINS | IKRAM Muda | 1–0[9] | |
| 2020 | cancelled and declared null and void due to COVID-19 pandemic | |||
| 2021 | cancelled and declared null and void due to COVID-19 pandemic | |||
| 2022 | No Tournament | |||
| 2023 | UiTM United | YP Maintenance F.C. | 2–1 | |
| 2024–25 | ||||
See also
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.
- "14 pasukan sedia bersaing di Liga M3 Malaysia 2019" (in Malay). Fox Sports Malaysia. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- "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.
- "Liga M3 2020 KSR SAINS tak mahu jadi pasukan cukup syarat". Semuanya Bola.
External links
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