History
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 Cup 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.
Initially the only teams only allowed to participate in the league were the state FAs, teams representing the Armed Forces and the Police, and teams representing the neighbouring countries of Singapore and Brunei (though the Football Association of Singapore 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 recent years, top Malaysian club teams have also been admitted to the league competition.
In 2010, The Football Association of Malaysia released a new logo for the 2011 season, followed by another new logo made from the league sponsor, Astro for the 2012 season.
Between 1989 to 1993 and 1998 to 2003, the football league in Malaysia was divided into two levels:
- 1st Division: Premier 1 League Malaysia
- 2nd Division: Premier 2 League Malaysia
Between 1994 to 1997, there was no second-level league as the top two leagues were combined.
Between 2004 to 2006, the professional football league in Malaysia was divided into two levels and two groups:
- 1st Division: Malaysia Super League
- 2nd Division: Malaysia Premier League Group A
- 2nd Division: Malaysia Premier League Group B
Between 2007 until now, the professional football league in Malaysia was only divided into two levels when Malaysia Premier League combined into one level:
- 1st Division: Malaysia Super League
- 2nd Division: Malaysia Premier League
- 3rd Division: Malaysia FAM Cup
Read more about this topic: Malaysia Super League
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