Liga Perdana () was the top-tier

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

league in Malaysia that operated from 1994 to 1997. The league was formed and established in 1994 to succeed the Liga Semi-Pro and became the Malaysian fully professional football league. At this time the league was interchangeably referred as Malaysian League. As per league rules for the newly formed professional league, all teams were required to register 13 full professional, two semi-professional, and only three foreign players to play for their team in the competition. The inaugural season started on 5 April 1994. The league was then succeeded in 1998 by the formation of Liga Perdana 1 when the league was divided into two division alongside the Liga Perdana 2 by Football Association of Malaysia.

History

Founding

A football league competition involving the representative sides of the state football associations was first held in Malaysia in 1979. When it began, it was intended primarily as a qualifying tournament for the final knock-out stages of the Malaysia Cup. It was not until 1982 that a league trophy was introduced to recognise the winners of the preliminary stage as the league champions. Over the years, the league competition has gained important stature in its own right. In early days, the Malaysian football league system consisted of an amateur league before the changes in 1989, when the Liga Semi-Pro was introduced which operated from 1989 to 1993. Initially the only teams allowed to participate in the league were the state FA's sides, teams representing the

Armed Forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...

and the

Police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...

, and teams representing the neighbouring countries of

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

and

Brunei Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with ...

(though the

Football Association of Singapore The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is the governing body responsible for the administration of football in Singapore. Established in 1892 as the Singapore Football Association (SFA), it is the oldest football association in all of ...

pulled out of the Malaysian League after the 1994 season following a dispute with the Football Association of Malaysia over gate receipts, and has not been involved since). In its inaugural season 16 teams competing in the league. The teams were based from all states in Malaysia including Kuala Lumpur and addition of two foreign teams, Singapore and Brunei. Between 1994 and 1997, there was no second level league as the top two leagues were combined. 1994 was when Malaysian football league turned professional. The Liga Semi-Pro essentially replaced by the Liga Perdana, the new professional national league which was added, and a second cup competition, Piala FA, joined the existing Malaysia Cup. The newly formed professional football league was almost in peril when a bribing and corruption scandal was discovered between 1994 and 1995. 21 players and coaches was sacked, 58 players were suspended and 126 players were questioned over corruption by Malaysian authorities. FAM did create another amateur league in 1992 for local clubs in Malaysia to compete, which is called the National League (''Liga Nasional'' in Malay) The league was managed by FAM outside entity, Super Club Sdn. Bhd. Unfortunately, the league only ran for one season before it folded. Some of the clubs were then evolved and joined the main league where in 1997, promotion from Malaysia FAM Cup to the professional M-League was introduced for the first time. Johor FC and NS Chempaka FC were the first two sides to be promoted that year. Liga Perdana was replaced by two divisions league in 1998 consist of Liga Perdana 1 and Liga Perdana 2 (''Liga Perdana 1'' and ''Liga Perdana 2'' in Malay). During 1998, Liga Perdana 1 consist of 12 teams while Liga Perdana 2 had 8 teams. 10 teams that previously qualified for Malaysia Cup which played in 1997 Liga Perdana were automatically qualified to Liga Perdana 1. The other two spots were filled by a playoff round of the 5 lowest teams in the 1997 Liga Perdana and the Malaysian Olympic football team. The lowest four teams from the playoff round were then put into Liga Perdana 2 alongside

, Malaysia Military, Negeri Sembilan Chempaka F.C and PKN Johor. At this time the league still consisted of semi-pro team where each team was allowed to register 25 players where 12 players must be a professional for Liga Perdana 1 and a minimum of six professional players in Liga Perdana 2.

Teams

In its inaugural season 16 teams competing in the league. The teams were based from all states in Malaysia including Kuala Lumpur and addition of two foreign teams, Singapore and Brunei.

Teams competing in 1994 season

16 teams competing in the first season of Liga Perdana. *

Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...

Kedah Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of ...

Sabah Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah has land borders with the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and Indonesia's North Kalima ...

Selangor Selangor ( ; ), also known by the Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the e ...

Perlis Perlis (Kedah Malay language, Kedah Malay (Perlis dialect): ''Peghelih'') is a Negeri, state of Malaysia in the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is the smallest state in Malaysia by area and population. The state borders the Thai ...

* Negeri Sembilan *

Perak Perak (; Perak Malay: ''Peghok'') is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kel ...

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...

Pahang {{Infobox political division , name = Pahang , official_name = Pahang Darul Makmur , native_name = , settlement_type = States and federal territories of Malaysia, State , image_skyline = , imagesize ...

* Pulau Pinang *

Kelantan Kelantan (; Kelantan-Pattani Malay, Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate''; ) is a state in Malaysia. The capital, Kota Bharu, includes the royal seat of Kubang Kerian. The honorific, honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' ("The Blissful Abode"). ...

* Terengganu *

Johor Johor, also spelled Johore,'' is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. It borders with Pahang, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the north. Johor has maritime borders with Singapore ...

* Malacca League Table:- 1.

- 59 PTS (1994 Liga Perdana Champions) 2.

- 57 PTS 3.

- 55 PTS 4.

- 49 PTS 5.

- 46 PTS 6.

- 44 PTS 7. Terengganu - 43 PTS 8.

- 41 PTS 9.

- 40 PTS 10.

- 35 PTS 11.

- 33 PTS 12. Negeri Sembilan - 31 PTS 13. Malacca - 31 PTS 14.

- 20 PTS 15. Pulau Pinang - 19 PTS 16.

- 13 PTS

Teams competing in 1995 season

15 teams competing in the second season of Liga Perdana after Singapore pull from the league. *

* Negeri Sembilan *

* Pulau Pinang *

* Terengganu *

* Malacca *

League Table:- 1.

- 65 PTS (1995 Liga Perdana Champions) 2.

- 54 PTS 3.

- 54 PTS 4.

- 45 PTS 5.

- 44 PTS 6.

- 42 PTS 7.

- 40 PTS 8. Terengganu - 39 PTS 9.

- 36 PTS 10.

- 32 PTS 11. Negeri Sembilan - 30 PTS 12.

- 28 PTS 13. Malacca - 26 PTS 14. Pulau Pinang - 24 PTS 15.

- 23 PTS

Teams competing in 1996 season

15 teams competing in the third season of Liga Perdana. *

* Negeri Sembilan *

* Pulau Pinang *

* Terengganu *

* Malacca *

League Table:- 1.

- 58 PTS (1996 Liga Perdana Champions) 2.

- 57 PTS 3. Negeri Sembilan - 57 PTS 4.

- 49 PTS 5.

- 44 PTS 6. Pulau Pinang - 41 PTS 7.

- 40 PTS 8.

- 40 PTS 9.

- 37 PTS 10.

- 36 PTS 11.

- 33 PTS 12. Malacca - 27 PTS 13. Terengganu - 20 PTS 14.

- 18 PTS 15.

- 17 PTS

Teams competing in 1997 season

15 teams competing in the last season of Liga Perdana before it was succeeded by Liga Perdana 1. *

* Negeri Sembilan *

* Pulau Pinang *

* Terengganu *

* Malacca *

League Table:- 1.

- 54 PTS (1997 Liga Perdana Champions) 2.

- 50 PTS 3.

- 49 PTS 4.

- 46 PTS 5.

- 45 PTS 6.

- 45 PTS 7. Negeri Sembilan - 44 PTS 8.

- 41 PTS 9.

- 38 PTS 10.

- 37 PTS 11. Pulau Pinang - 33 PTS 12.

- 32 PTS (Relegated to Liga Perdana 2) 13.

- 28 PTS (Relegated to Liga Perdana 2) 14. Malacca - 24 PTS (Relegated to Liga Perdana 2) 15. Terengganu - 22 PTS (Relegated to Liga Perdana 2)

Champions

Below is the list of champions of Liga Perdana from 1994 until 1997.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liga Perdana (1994-97) 2 Second level football leagues in Asia Sports leagues established in 1994 Sports leagues disestablished in 1997 1994 establishments in Malaysia 1997 disestablishments in Malaysia