The football test of fealty


How 'Malaysian' is the country's national football team? As of June 2022, it's made up of Malaysians born to two Malaysian parents, Malaysians with a non-Malaysian parent, and players who were born non-Malaysian and became naturalised a few years ago. — FAM

The “cricket test” was a phrase coined by a British member of Parliament in the 1990s. It referred to the observation that many immigrants to Britain professed British citizenship, but when their original country’s cricket teams visited England, they would support them instead of their new home’s team.

It’s very hard for non-Malaysians to get citizenship, but if it’s true that “to know Malaysia is to love Malaysia”, then does that love extend to sports?

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Dzof Azmi , sport , nationalism , football

   

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