In agreeing at a meeting yesterday that sports rivalry should stay on the field, the two members of royalty also called for respect and unity to be maintained off the field, according to a post on Tunku Ismail’s Facebook page.

“The sultan of Selangor and the Johor regent shared their thoughts on the unity among the people, professionalism in Malaysia, and the importance of a united royal institution to serve as a symbol of the country,” the post read.

Sultan Sharafuddin is the patron of Selangor Football Club (FC), while Tunku Ismail owns the Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) football club.

Both clubs were embroiled in tensions stemming from an incident in June when the Malaysian Football League fined Selangor FC RM100,000 and deducted three points for withdrawing from the Charity Shield match against JDT.

The decision to withdraw from the season-opener was made in view of several incidents involving Malaysian footballers, including the acid attack on Selangor FC forward Faisal Halim on May 5.

Sultan Sharafuddin criticised the initial penalties as excessive and unreasonable, leading to MFL eventually reducing the fine to RM60,000 and waiving the point deduction.

However, this was later followed by a strongly worded statement by Tunku Ismail who slammed the MFL’s decision.

In a sarcastic swipe at the MFL, Tunku Ismail said any club that breaks any regulation in the future can ask their respective state’s ruler to write a letter expressing anger over any penalty imposed by the league.