The Malaysia Super League (), known simply as the Super League (), is the men's top professional football division of the Malaysian football league system. Administered by the Football Malaysia Limited Liability Partnership (FMLLP), now known as the Malaysian Football League (MFL), the Malaysia Super League is usually contested by 15 clubs. Until 2022, it operated on a system of promotion and relegation with the Malaysia Premier League, with the two lowest-placed teams relegated and replaced by the promoted top two teams in that division. It has replaced the former top-tier league, Liga Perdana 1, which ran from 1998 to 2003.
37 clubs have competed since the inception of the Malaysia Super League in 2004, with eight winning the title (Selangor, Kedah Darul Aman, Kelantan, Sri Pahang, Perlis, Negeri Sembilan, LionsXII and Johor Darul Ta'zim). The current champions are Johor Darul Ta'zim, which won their twelfth title in the 2025–26 edition.
History Origins The Malaysia Super League was formed in 2004 following a decision by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to privatise the league. The inaugural season started on 14 February 2004. As a result, the Malaysia Super League Sdn Bhd (or MSL Proprietary Limited) was created to oversee the marketing aspects of the league, but it was not fully privatised.
The league has seen numerous changes to its format from eight clubs, at one point 14 clubs and now 12 clubs and then back to 14 clubs to accommodate changes to the league rules and withdrawal of certain clubs from the league in order to create a competitive environment and professional management among the clubs.
Foundation The Malaysian League was revamped to be a fully professional league in 2004 which coined the creation of a new top-tier division, the Malaysia Super League. Between 2004 and 2006, the professional football league in Malaysia was divided into two levels and two groups: Top tier: Malaysia Super League (8 teams) Second tier: Malaysia Premier League Group A (8 teams) Second tier: Malaysia Premier League Group B (8 teams) Third tier: Malaysia FAM Cup
The new top-tier Malaysia Super League was competed by eight teams while there were 16 teams competing in the new Malaysia Premier League which was divided into 2 groups. While there were only eight teams in the league prior to the 2006–07 season, positional movements were radical. Successive losses would condemn clubs to a relegation dogfight. Similarly, successive wins would put a team in contention for the title. The Malaysia Super League had gone through two format changes in its short history spanning three years. The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) decided to expand the Malaysia Super League to accommodate 14 teams instead of eight, which was the number of league teams during the Malaysia Super League's first three seasons. But the plan was held off when some of the teams withdrew from the league due to financial reasons. The 2009 to 2012 seasons were the only seasons that the league would have 14 teams, with all teams playing each other twice culminating in 26 matches per team and 182 matches in total.
For the 2007 season, the Malaysia Premier League was combined into one division rather than two groups and in 2008 the Malaysia FAM League was revamped to a league format instead of a knockout competition format, with the latter itself replaced by a new third tier called the Malaysia A1 Semi-Pro League in 2019: Top tier: Malaysia Super League Second tier: Malaysia A1 Semi-Pro League
Development In 2015, the Football Malaysia Limited Liability Partnership (FMLLP) was created in the course of the privatisation of the Malaysian football league system. The partnership saw all 24 teams in the Malaysia Super League and the Malaysia Premier League involved, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) as the Managing Partner and MP & Silva as a special partner (FAM's global media and commercial advisor) to become stakeholders in the company.
The FMLLP owned, operated and ran the Malaysia Super League. Besides that, other competitions in Malaysian football were also under its jurisdiction, which include the Malaysia Premier League, the Malaysia FA Cup, the Malaysia Cup, and the Piala Sumbangsih. It aimed to transform and move Malaysian football forward to another level.
More than a decade after the league's inception, a total of eight clubs have been crowned champions of the Malaysia Super League with Pahang being the first champions. Johor Darul Ta'zim have won the league 7 times while Kedah, Selangor, and Kelantan have won the league twice each; Pahang, Perlis, Negeri Sembilan and LionsXII have won it once. On 9 September 2016, Johor Darul Ta'zim became the first team to win the Malaysia Super League three times consecutively.
Format and regulations The competition format follows the usual double round-robin format. During the course of a season, which lasts from August to May, each club plays every other club twice, once at home and once away, for 26 matchdays, totaling 182 matches in the season. Most games are played on Saturdays, with a few games played during weekdays. Teams receive three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, with the highest-ranked club at the end of the season crowned champions.
Promotion and relegation A system of promotion and relegation existed between the Malaysia Super League and the Malaysia Premier League. The two lowest placed teams in the Malaysia Super League were relegated to the Malaysia Premier League, and the top two teams from the Malaysia Premier League were promoted to the Malaysia Super League. Below is a complete record of how many teams played in each season throughout the league's history:
Number of clubs throughout the years Period (in years) of clubs2004–20068 2007–200813 2009–201214 2013–202212 202314 2024–2026132026–present12
Qualification for AFC competitions The champions of the Malaysia Super League qualify for following season's AFC Champions League group stages. The winners of the Malaysia FA Cup also qualify for the following season's AFC Champions League play-off slots. If a club lost during the play-off slots and were unable to reach group stages, the club will play in the AFC Cup play-off slots.
The number of places allocated to Malaysian clubs in AFC competitions is dependent upon the AFC Club Competitions Rankings, which are calculated based upon the performance of teams competing in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup, as well as their national team's FIFA World Rankings in the previous 4 years. Currently, Malaysia are ranked 20th in the AFC Club Competitions Ranking.
Club licensing regulations Every team in the Malaysia Super League must have a licence to play in the league, or else they are expelled completely from the Malaysian Football League. To obtain a licence, teams must be financially healthy and meet certain standards of conduct such as organizational management. As part of the privatisation efforts of the league, all clubs competing in the Malaysia Super League will be required to obtain FAM Club Licensing.
As a preliminary preparation towards the total privatisation of the league, FAM Club Licensing was created with the hope of it being enforced throughout the Malaysia Super League fully by the end of 2018 and in the Malaysia Premier League by end of 2019. There are significant benefits of being in the top-division and readiness of the club licensing: A greater share of television broadcast licence revenues going to clubs. Greater exposure through television and higher attendance levels to help clubs attract more lucrative sponsorships. Clubs developing substantial financial muscle through the combination of television and gate revenues, sponsorship and marketing of their team brands. This allows clubs to attract and retain the best players from domestic and international sources and to construct first-class stadium facilities.
FAM also established independent decision-making bodies known as the First Instance Body and Appeals Body that would function as an assessment body and the issuer of the license. These two bodies are composed of members that meet the requirements and conditions set by the AFC Club Licensing Regulations mainly within the field of finance and legal matters.
Champions
Season-by-season records
#SeasonChampionsRunners-upThird place1 2004 Pahang Public Bank Perlis2 2005 Perlis Pahang Perak3 2005–06 Negeri Sembilan TM Perak4 2006–07 Kedah Perak DPMM5 2007–08 Kedah (2) Negeri Sembilan Johor FC6 2009 Selangor Perlis Kedah7 2010 Selangor (2) Kelantan Terengganu8 2011 Kelantan Terengganu Selangor9 2012 Kelantan (2) Lions XII Selangor10 2013 Lions XII Selangor Johor Darul Ta'zim11 2014 Johor Darul Ta'zim Selangor Pahang12 2015 Johor Darul Ta'zim (2) Selangor Pahang13 2016 Johor Darul Ta'zim (3) Felda United Kedah14 2017 Johor Darul Ta'zim (4) Pahang Felda United15 2018Johor Darul Ta'zim (5) Perak PKNS16 2019Johor Darul Ta'zim (6)PahangSelangor17 2020Johor Darul Ta'zim (7)KedahTerengganu18 2021Johor Darul Ta'zim (8)Kedah Darul AmanPenang192022Johor Darul Ta'zim (9)TerengganuSabah202023Johor Darul Ta'zim (10)SelangorSabah212024–25Johor Darul Ta'zim (11)SelangorSabah222025–26Johor Darul Ta'zim (12) Kuching City Selangor
Invited clubs
Titles by club Clubs in bold compete in the current season. Italics indicates defunct club. ClubChampionsRunners-upWinning seasonsRunners-up seasonsJohor Darul Ta'zim1202014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024–25, 2025–26Selangor252009, 20102013, 2014, 2015, 2023, 2024–25Kedah Darul Aman222007, 20082020, 2021Kelantan212011, 20122010Sri Pahang1320042005, 2017, 2019Perlis1120052009Negeri Sembilan1120062007–08 Lions XII1120132012Perak022006–07, 2018Terengganu022011, 2022Public Bank012004TM012005–06Felda United012016Kuching City012025–26
Invited clubs
Clubs 2026–27 season Club Positionin 2025–26 First season intop division First season inSuper League Seasonsin topdivision Seasonsin SuperLeague First season ofcurrent spell intop division Title wins Last title DPMM 10th 2006–07 3 2025–26 0 — Johor Darul Ta'zim 1st 2002 2006–07 20 18 2006–07 12 2025–26 Kelantan Red Warrior A1 Semi-Pro League 4th 2026–27 1 2026–27 0 — Kuala Lumpur City 4th 1982 2010 30 9 2021 2 1988 Kuching City 2nd 2023 3 2023 0 — Melaka 11th 2025–26 2 2025–26 0 — Negeri Sembilan 7th 1982 2005–06 30 12 2022 1 2005–06 PDRM 13th 2007–08 8 2023 0 — Penang 8th 1982 2004 32 13 2021 3 2001 Sabah 9th 1982 2004 26 8 2020 1 1996 Selangor 3rd 1982 2005–06 38 18 2005–06 6 2010 Star City 6th 2025–26 2 2025–26 0 — Terengganu 5th 1982 2006–07 36 17 2018 0 —
Former clubs The following clubs had competed in the Malaysia Super League or the top flight M-League before 2004, but are not competing in the Malaysia Super League during the 2026–27 season.