KUALA LUMPUR – Polis Diraja Malaysia FC (PDRM FC) head coach P. Maniam admits that his charges are not yet ready for inclusion in head coach Kim Pan-gon’s Harimau Malaya squad, emphasising the need for further development.
Speaking to Scoop, Maniam acknowledged the competitive environment that Pan-gon has established within the national team.
“It’s not easy for my players to get into Pan-gon’s system as they are not ready yet. Pan-gon’s team is really competitive and he has made the team into a formidable side since he came on board,” said Maniam when contacted.
“For my boys to be on the national team, they need to work ten times harder compared to what they are doing right now to fight for their place with the regular players.
“It’s every coach’s dream to see his players playing for the national team, and of course, I would love to witness that happening at PDRM as well. I pledge to make it happen by developing my young players to their maximum and ensuring they become Harimau Malaya regulars.
“I have the experience of developing young players for the national team in the past and I’m confident that I can repeat the same here at PDRM. In the months or years to come, I can confidently say that our PDRM players will be part of the national team landscape.”
For context, Pan-gon has selected 26 players for the 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
Johor Darul Ta’zim FC make up most of the numbers. They are Syihan Hazmi, Matthew Davies, Feroz Baharudin, Shahrul Saad, Corbin-Ong, Endrick, and Declan Lambert.
Additionally, Pan-gon’s squad includes four players from Terengganu FC (Safawi Rashid, Akhyar Rashid, Safwan Mazlan, and Engku Syakir), three each from Sabah FC (Dominic Tan, Daniel Ting, and Stuart Wilkin), Penang FC (Sikh Izhan, Syamer Kutty Abba, and Adib Ra’op, and Kuala Lumpur City FC (Brendan Gan, Paulo Josue, and Haqimi Azim).
Pan-gon also selected two players from Kedah FC (Kalamullah Al-Hafiz and Syafiq Ahmad) and one each from Buriram United FC (Dion Cools) and Kuching City FC (Nur Shamie Iszuan Amin).
Harimau Malaya will face Kyrgyzstan on June 6 and Chinese Taipei on June 11 in the qualifiers.
Maniam, who recently replaced Datuk Yunus Alif as head coach, manages a squad of 18 local players, including six players under the age of 25 – Amirul Hakim Safian, Zazrir Naim, Asri Muhamad, Eizrul Ashraf Nor Effendy, Shafizi Iqmal Md Khirudin, and Fakhrul Azim.
Throughout his 19-year coaching career, Maniam has coached various age levels of Selangor FC, including the under-19, under-21, and senior teams.
The 55-year-old has also coached Petaling Jaya City in the Super League until its disbandment in 2022, and Harini FC in the M3 League.
Additionally, he coached the national under-16 team from 2019 to 2020.
Notable players developed by Maniam include Syahmi Safari (Johor Darul Ta’zim), V. Ruventhiran (Selangor FC), Darren Lok (Sabah FC), and Mahalli Jasuli (Negri Sembilan FC).
The Cops, making their seventh appearance in the top-flight Malaysia Super League, are currently ranked sixth with one win, one draw, and one defeat, totalling four points.
Their last game in the Super League saw them draw against a much more experienced Penang FC side, with Nigerian striker Ifedayo Olusegun scoring the only goal for his side in the 32nd minute. – May 31, 2024