While others are putting domestic competition as their benchmark, we are setting our benchmark with international leagues and international competitions such as the AFC. It's not about winning or losing. Its about being in an international competition and to be recognized globally. That is how you maintain your club's reputation and finances. It will open up doors for collaboration deals that will allow you to have foreign expertise and this will also improve your club's football innovation.
In the financial aspect, you will have more sponsors pouring in because companies and sponsors would want their name to be recognized globally and that will strengthen your club financially and in turn, its sustainability. Unfortunately, here we have the Malaysian mentality that is to fight for the Malaysia Cup. When I was asked if I was going to fight for the Malaysia Cup next year my answer was this. How will the Malaysia Cup help me globally? Where would it take me? The obvious reply I received from the gentleman was, "But the Malaysia Cup is a prestigious cup". I then told him that I'm not saying its not prestigious, I'm saying how would it help me financially and how will it create global awareness?
This issue was also raised to me by a few of my influential friends from the football world. So it's not just me who have realised this but also people who have been involved in the football business much longer and who are far more experienced than us. The problem with this country is that our people listen and read what is said in the local football pages not realizing that those pages are not run by qualified football people. They would rather read those pages than reading and learning from successful football people or organizations. Sadly in Malaysia, people still asks and read statements from a "has been". No wonder there's no progress in our football. It's because people are more interested in entertaining an empty barrelI. Ignorance is the key to failure. And thats exactly whats happening. How can you improve something if you cant accept that you have a problem? The only way to improve is to recognize our problems and weaknesses and then find a solution and progress.
Today JDT is the only club with a plan to improve our financial status to sustain the club for the next 20 years and continue to improve it every year. In JDT we sign valuable players that can potentially be sold. Our competitors are still signing players that have no value outside of Asia. I signed Lucero for USD1.4million and today he's valued at 2.4million Euros in Europe. Our competitors are still dependent on government funding and continue to draw short term plans. We have to accept our weaknesses to improve and football should be run like a business. The Government's money belongs to the people's. Simple as that. Last but not least, I am not interested to be the President of FAM, and I am also not interested to be a patron of FAM. Malaysian football fans mentality and their choice to remain in denial is why i don't want to have anything to do with this circle of failures.
HRH Brigadier General Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Crown Prince of Johor
