His Royal Highness Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, The Regent of Johor and owner of Johor Darul Ta’zim, has issued a bold and uncompromising message to critics and detractors of the Southern Tigers’ continued dominance in Malaysian football.
Posting through the official JOHOR Southern Tigers social media platform, Tunku Ismail dismissed years of criticism aimed at JDT and the structure of Malaysian football, calling out the defeatist mindset of some quarters who he claimed are more interested in tearing down success than building their own.
“It’s never about participating. It has always been about dominating and levelling up from the very beginning,” said Tunku Ismail.
“One question — with all the nonsense which has been written and campaigned all these years, what change or difference have they achieved? Zero. While we have grown, improved, and levelled up every year.”
The Crown Prince did not hold back, lambasting those who frequently complain about JDT’s financial power or success on the pitch, urging Malaysian football stakeholders to shift their mindset towards growth and professionalism.
“It’s a joke that some of our ‘competitors’ often whine and complain about not being able to compete with us, instigate that teams should withdraw and that the league is dying,” he said.
“We don’t see this mentality in other leagues where there is a dominant team miles ahead. It’s embarrassing, and our neighbours Thailand and Indonesia can clearly see this mentality in Malaysia — which is just to quit if you can’t compete.”
Tunku Ismail emphasized that despite operating on a more modest budget compared to top-tier East Asian clubs, JDT remains competitive at continental level. He highlighted the club’s recent achievement — finishing third out of 12 in their AFC Champions League group — and their current standing at No.10 in Asia in the Opta Power Rankings.
“JDT would never be able to compete in Asia if we had that same mentality. But we continue to push and grow,” he said.
“Malaysian football fans should be proud that JDT is representing Malaysia with distinction on the Asian stage.”
The powerful statement concluded with a stark reflection on the state of local football culture, warning that envy and defeatism are holding the game back.
“The mindset of football in this country is going backwards. They don’t necessarily want what you have — they just don’t want you to have it.”
Tunku Ismail’s remarks serve as a rallying call not just for fans, but for clubs, administrators, and stakeholders across the nation to embrace ambition, raise standards, and stop making excuses in the face of excellence.
Credit Photo : JST
