KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) does not object to the use of naturalised or heritage players to strengthen the national team but still prioritises the development of local talent, said Deputy Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim.
He said the recruitment of such athletes is subject to strict conditions, including obtaining citizenship approval from the Home Ministry (KDN) and complying with the criteria set by international sports bodies and their respective national sports associations.
He said using naturalised or heritage athletes has proven to have a positive impact and plays a role in boosting the nation’s sports performance.
“For example, on June 10, the national football team recorded a 4-0 victory over Vietnam, which at the time was ranked 109th in the world, in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. In that match, three naturalised players were listed with the national squad.
“The last time the national team defeated Vietnam was in 2014. The presence of naturalised and heritage players has been seen to help improve the quality of local football while also raising the team’s performance,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was replying to a question from Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah (PN-Indera Mahkota) about the ministry’s policy on using naturalised players in the national team.
Adam Adli said KBS maintains that the recruitment of naturalised players must not undermine the development of local talent.
“Each NSA (national sports association) must take into account conditions set by relevant authorities so a balance can be achieved between developing local talent and improving national sports performance through naturalised players,” he said.
Replying to Saifuddin’s supplementary question on the status of the Malaysian Basketball Association’s application to recruit two naturalised players and one heritage player in preparation for the SEA Games in Thailand in December, he said KBS has no objection to this, but the final decision lies with the KDN.
