The Crown Prince of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, has publicly questioned a recent statement made by Selangor FC CEO, Dr. Johan Kamal, regarding the club’s efforts to close the gap with Malaysia Super League champions, Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT).
In a media statement earlier today, Dr. Johan claimed that Selangor has been consistently narrowing the gap with JDT over the past two seasons, saying:
“At present, for the past two seasons, we’ve remained consistent in our goal to close the gap with the champions (JDT). It’s something we need to maintain—to stay close to the top of the table.
Our targets remain unchanged: to finish in the league’s top two, reach the finals of both the FA Cup and Malaysia Cup, and advance to the knockout stages in Asia. It’s not easy, especially with other teams strengthening as well.”
In response, Tunku Ismail, the owner of JDT, took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account to challenge the accuracy of Dr. Johan’s remarks. He posted records and statistics from the past five years that clearly show Selangor consistently finishing well behind JDT in the league standings.
“So, please explain to me, Johan Kamal, how exactly has Selangor closed the gap?”
Tunku Ismail didn’t hold back in his criticism, urging honesty and transparency from football leaders rather than misleading loyal fans.
“If you want to cover up your own failures, at least don’t insult your fans’ intelligence. Selangor supporters deserve better.”
CEO Selangor FC Johan cakap jurang antara JDT dan Selangor semakin mengecil?
2023 – Beza 15 mata dalam liga 2024-25 – Beza 28 mata
2022 – Kalah 5-1, seri 1-1, kalah 2-1 final Piala Malaysia 2023 – Kalah 4-0, 4-0 dan 2-0 2024-25 – Kalah 3-0 di home dan 6-1, result terbesar dalam… pic.twitter.com/moXy8oKPlT
— HRH Crown Prince of Johor (@HRHJohorII) July 30, 2025
His statement adds pressure to Selangor FC, who have long been viewed as one of JDT’s main rivals, but have struggled to match their success in recent seasons.
