While the rules under Fifa and the Football Association of Malaysia allow naturalised and heritage players to represent Malaysia, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said he was concerned about the impact this would have on the development of local talent.

He acknowledged that the trend was also visible regionally, with Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines adopting similar approaches as eligibility rules are relaxed, Dayak Daily reported.

“Personally, I prefer to see our ‘anak jati’, the natives, representing Malaysia and Sarawak.

“Many of those currently representing Malaysia are based in Europe or Latin America. It will be difficult for us to keep the local football scene alive if we continue relying on players from outside,” he was quoted as saying.

Karim said focus should be placed on developing a strong and sustainable grassroots ecosystem. “We have to keep on looking at ourselves and build it up from the bottom,” he said.

Last month, a new-look Harimau Malaya eased past reigning Asean Cup champions Vietnam 4-0 at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, their first victory against the Golden Star Warriors in 11 years.

Nine of the team’s starting-11 were naturalised players, with five of them – Joao Figueiredo, Rodrigo Holgado, Jon Irazabal, Facundo Garces and Imanol Machuca – receiving Fifa clearance just hours before kick-off.

FAM’s policy of naturalising foreign players for the national team came under scrutiny from former national players last year, who argued that the national football body should focus on developing local talent rather than relying on foreign-born players.

Currently, footballers whose parents are Malaysian or were born in Malaysia are eligible to join the national squad.