KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — Kim Pan Gon today said that he did not mean anything negative about the Malaysian football scene when he used the words “very dangerous” in a news conference announcing his abrupt resignation as head coach of the national squad.

In a post on the X account RimauXI, the South Korean clarified the meaning behind his words, which spawned speculations among Malaysian football fans, including Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim who owned the Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) club.

“When asked what he meant by ‘very danger’ [sic], his response was that his English proficiency is not very good.

“However, there are matters that need to be studied for strategic plans and this is not to be discussed openly in front of the media,” said a user on the X platform who attended the discussion this morning involving Kim and Tunku Ismail, along with Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi, deputy president of the Football Association of Malaysia.

The user also related that Kim conceded that he has not received any threats from Harimau Malaya supporters, and did not regret his decision to quit.

Malay Mail cannot independently verify Kim’s remark during the meeting.

Tunku Ismail took to his official X account earlier this morning to share photos of a meeting with Kim to show that any possible misunderstanding had been resolved following questions over the latter’s “dangerous” remarks yesterday.

Tunku Ismail had asked Kim to clarify his meaning for claiming it was “dangerous” to divulge the reason for his resignation as the head coach of Harimau Malaya.

During a press conference yesterday to announce his resignation, Kim was questioned about the drastic change since his previous remarks, where he showed determination to elevate Harimau Malaya’s game.

“Same answer. I speak to Datuk president (FAM president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin) every single day. That I cannot talk to you... here... very danger(ous). He knows all the details. So that thing... I must honour each other,” he replied.

Kim, who took the reins as Harimau Malaya’s head coach on January 21, 2022, has been instrumental in the team’s recent successes.

Following Kim’s resignation, the FAM announced that his assistant, Paul Marti Vicente, will step in as acting head coach.