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SHAH ALAM - In 1993, the Singapore football team suffered the ignominy of playing in the second tier of the Malaysia League after it was relegated the year before. But the team bounced back in style the following season by winning both the league and the Malaysia Cup.
But as football fans look forward to Singapore's participation in the Malaysian domestic football competitions, after 17 years, it has emerged that the Republic's LionsXII team will be immune to relegation - at least until 2015 - as part of an agreement inked in July between the football associations of the two countries.
The clause was revealed, for the first time, yesterday by Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) vice-president Hamidin Haji Amin.
Speaking to Today on the sidelines of the Malaysia Super League (MSL) draw held at the Grand Bluewave Hotel, Mr Hamidin said: "Until 2015 there will be no relegation in the league for the Singapore team - it was part of the agreement signed. The purpose of this collaboration is to have our respective teams perform, participate and develop at the highest level, and our top league competition will be given as the platform for this."
The agreement between the FAM and the FAS will see the LionsXII play in Malaysian domestic competitions, while the Malaysian under-23 side will ply its trade in Singapore. Singapore's domestic league - the S-League - has no relegation and promotion.
By convention, the bottom two sides in the 14-team MSL will drop into the second tier Malaysian Premier League the following season, with the top two teams in the lower division moving up.
"If Singapore should finish in the bottom two, the next lowest team will be relegated instead. It is important that (Malaysian) clubs know this early on, that's our agreement with Singapore and we'll stick with it," said Mr Hamidin. "We will review this after the 2015 season when the deal runs out."
Mr Tony Mariadass, who was the former sports editor of the Malay Mail, believes the decision will upset Malaysian clubs.
He told Today: "There should be no exceptions to the rules of the league. Even if the (LionsXII) are here for development, if they finish in the bottom two, then they just don't have the calibre to play in the top league, and it won't be fair for the team above them to be relegated."
The clause is stated in the MSL 2012 manual that was handed to the MSL clubs yesterday. But the coaches Today spoke to reiterated that they were unaware of it beforehand.
Sarawak coach Robert Alberts, who led Home United to the S-League title in 1999, said he would only comment on the controversial clause after he hears the FAM's official stance.
ATM, Malaysia's nouveau riche club representing the army, are aiming to gain promotion to the MSL in 2012. Its coach B Sathianathan said: "I'd rather know about this sooner than later ... and we will have to stand by that agreement."
Mr Peter Butler, who used to coach S-League side SAFFC and has been appointed to helm 2011 MSL champions Kelantan, nevertheless supported the idea.
He said: "I've got no issue with the system, the footballing brains have already made their decision and it's not about winning or losing, it's for the sake of development. Having Singapore in the top league here and the Malaysian team in the S-League will make an impact on football in the region on a larger scale."
For LionsXII coach V Sundramoorthy, who had played for Singapore in the then-Second Division in 1993, the issue was irrelevant.
He told Today: "Looking at the team that we've got, and the way the boys have been in training, I don't think we'll be in a situation that requires us to even think about relegation."
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