KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 — A couple weekends ago, I stood on the sidelines and watched as the last of 10 penalties sailed skyward, cementing Selangor Chinese Recreation Club (SCRC) as champions of the 71st edition of the Malaysian Chinese Football Association (MCFA) Cup.
Pandemonium ensued; lots of screaming, running, and sweaty hugs were exchanged between my teammates and me.
There was elation and catharsis in equal measure, and for most of the team, this vanquished painful memories of losing last year’s final to Kedah in dramatic fashion.
I’ve played with Selangor Chinese since I was 18, and won my first tournament with them on this very same ground in Kampar six years ago in the U21 version of the MCFA Cup.
And yet, when asked to explain “this football thing” that required me to travel to Melaka, Johor and this year Perak, once a year, I always end up feeling a bit sheepish, maybe even slightly ashamed.
I once tried to explain my involvement in the tournament to a recruiter for college “soccer” in the US, and I can’t say I disagreed with the look of confusion and mild contempt on his face.
He’s not the only one.
To talk about being part of the MCFA tournament is to acknowledge that I benefit from an explicitly race-based organisation - even after taking into consideration that this tournament is one of the oldest in Malaysia, with a storied history that predates the nation’s independence.
This win brings Selangor to 14 titles, just one behind Penang, which holds the record with 15 titles, including the inaugural cup in 1948.
Legendary Malaysian player Datuk Wira Soh Chin Ann previously played for Selangor, and was part of the team that beat Singapore in the 1973 final.
Singapore was also a 10-time champion before withdrawing from the competition.
The tournament and the organisation are historic there’s no question about it - but the race-based approach of the MCFA and similar sporting bodies is dated.
However, the human reality for the players today is far more nuanced. Many of the players do not just sport Chinese names: to qualify, at least one parent has to be Chinese.
Mohamad Syafiq Khor, whose goal in the semi-final secured Selangor’s place in the final, is one of many mixed-race players flourishing in the tournament.
In a post-match interview with sports fan media Harimau Malaya, the former Harimau Muda player shared that he was in the same batch as current Malaysian internationals like Irfan Zakaria and Dominic Tan.
Elsewhere, 19-year-old goalkeeper Mohamad Adam Shah was instrumental in securing third place for Penang, saving the decisive penalty in the shootout to redeem himself after an earlier mistake.
Inclusivity was also a surprise factor in this year’s MCFA Cup, with Mak Chee Weng of Perak finishing as top scorer with nine goals. Mak is deaf and mute, so he communicates with his coach Pugelenthi Arunasalam through WhatsApp and basic sign language.
Last year, Mak represented Malaysia at the 2023 World Deaf Football Championship in Kuala Lumpur, having previously donned national colours at the 2019 Asia Pacific Deaf Championship in Thailand and the 2015 Asia Pacific Deaf Games in Taoyuan.
Speaking to Harimau Malaya, Selangor captain Nicholas Wee Shen Ming expressed a desire to see Chinese players beyond just the MCFA Cup. “Hopefully Chinese players can play in more competitions, not just the MCFA Cup.”
Also speaking to Harimau Malaya, Selangor coach Ong Mok Hooi was asked if he wished to see more Chinese players in the national team, “If they have the ability! The number one thing is ability. It’s not about being Chinese, no, no. It’s about ability. As long as there is ability, it is good to give the opportunity.”
For me, it calls into question the relevance, effectiveness or indeed the logic of race-based sporting organisations in today’s Malaysia.
Organisations like the MCFA came about in colonial-era Malaya when racial dynamics and indeed representation looked a lot different.
It’s no coincidence that the association and the tournament have struggled for publicity in recent years.
However, there is some precedent for how organisations like the MCFA may establish themselves in the context of modern Malaysia.
Together with its counterparts: the Malaysian Malays Football Association (PBMM - Persatuan Bolasepak Melayu Malaysia) and the Malaysian Indian Sports Council (MISC), the MCFA is an affiliate of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
PBMM organises the historic King’s Gold Cup (Piala Emas Raja-Raja), with the 102nd edition taking place in Melaka later this year.
Like the MCFA Cup, this tournament typically features state teams managed by the Malay football associations in their respective states.
However, there is also a tradition of inviting non-state teams; in 2019, MISC became the first invitational team to win the tournament in 36 years.
MISC notably collaborated with the Malaysian Indian Football Association (MIFA), a younger non-FAM affiliated association to form MISC-MIFA FC, which later became Petaling Jaya City FC and played in the Super League for four years before withdrawing from top-flight football and dissolving ahead of the 2023 season.
So even as I feel proud that we won this year's MCFA Cup, I also feel such race-based sports tournaments are relics of a time long past, and no longer have a place in the world we live in today. The beautiful game is, and should always be, for all.
