KUALA LUMPUR, 2025, JUNE 20 — Sri Pahang FC will not be participating in the upcoming 2025/26 Malaysia League (M-League) season, despite having successfully secured a national club license from the independent First Instance Body (FIB).
In an official statement released today, the Malaysian Football League (MFL) confirmed that the club had submitted a letter dated 16 June to formally withdraw from the new season. The decision reduces the number of participating clubs to 13, just weeks before the season is set to begin.
“All clubs have been granted the 2025–2026 National License by the independent First Instance Body (FIB), with the club from Brunei, DPMM FC, also receiving clearance from the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to take part in the upcoming season,” MFL stated.
“However, Sri Pahang FC, which also received the 2025–2026 National License, have decided not to compete in the Malaysia League this season by submitting a confirmation letter dated 16 June 2025.”
As it stands, the 13 clubs that will feature in the new season include Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT), Selangor FC, Penang FC, Kuching City FC, Sabah FC, Terengganu FC, Negeri Sembilan FC, Kelantan Darul Naim FC, Kuala Lumpur City FC, PDRM FC, and Brunei DPMM FC. The lineup is completed by two clubs newly promoted from the AFL A1 division — Melaka FC and Imigresen FC.
The 2025/26 season is scheduled to kick off on 8 August with the annual Piala Sumbangsih curtain-raiser between defending Super League champions JDT and last season’s runners-up Selangor FC. The match will take place at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Johor and will also serve as the opening fixture of the league campaign.
MFL also provided a brief overview of the domestic competition calendar. The Malaysia FA Cup is set to begin in mid-August, while the Malaysia Cup and MFL Challenge Cup will take place in January 2026. The full season will span 10 months, a reduction from the previous campaign’s 14-month duration, which had been extended to align the local calendar with international football schedules.
However, the full league fixture list has yet to be released. MFL cited scheduling constraints due to pending draw results from regional and continental tournaments. Both JDT and Selangor FC are expected to represent Malaysia in the AFC Champions League (ACL) Elite and ACL Two, with the draw for those competitions scheduled for 15 August. In addition, both clubs are likely to feature in the ASEAN Club Championship, with MFL still awaiting full details from the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF).
The unexpected withdrawal of Sri Pahang FC, one of the more established clubs in Malaysian football, comes as a surprise, especially after the club had fulfilled the licensing requirements for participation. The MFL has not disclosed the reasons behind the club’s decision to sit out the season.
Further updates, including the finalised fixture list and tournament dates, are expected to be announced in due course.
