Malaysia States Leagues
| Country | Malaysia |
|---|---|
| Confederation | AFC |
| Founded | 1909 |
| Divisions |
Perlis League Kedah League Penang League Perak League Selangor League Negeri Sembilan League Liga Melaka Johor Darul Ta’zim League Kelantan League Terengganu League Pahang League Sabah League Sarawak League Kuala Lumpur League |
| Level on pyramid | 4-6 |
| Promotion to | Malaysia FAM League |
| Relegation to | State District League |
The Malaysian States League are a state level football league competition in Malaysia. Malaysia consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea, with eleven states and two federal territories (Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya) in Peninsular Malaysia, and two states and one federal territory (Labuan) in East Malaysia (Borneo). Each of the states has its own set of football league, and some may have multiple divisions with promotion and relegation rules among them. All leagues in all states run in parallel.
The leagues has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between league divisions at different levels, allowing even the smallest club the hypothetical possibility of ultimately rising to the very top of the system. The exact number of clubs varies from year to year as clubs join and leave leagues or fold altogether, but an estimated average of 10 clubs per division implies that hundreds of teams are members of a league in the Malaysian men's football league system.
Although the state leagues are at the top in the state level hierarchy in Malaysian football competition, they are not officially directly under the national leagues competition as the club which won the top level of state leagues may be invited to joined and be promoted to play in Malaysia FAM League only if they fulfilled the requirement set by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and approved by the state Football Association. This rules also applied for invitation to play in Malaysia FAM League for the remaining clubs in the top division of the state level competition.
Football arrived in Malaysia (Malaya at that time) with the British. The locals soon picked up the game, and before long it was the country's leading sport. Towards the end of the 19th century, football was one of the central pillars of most sports clubs in Malaya. However, it was not structured. Even when the Selangor Amateur Football League took shape in 1905 – which ensured proper administration and organisation – the competition was confined only to clubs in Kuala Lumpur.
The earliest recorded state football league took place in Penang, where YMCA won the league in 1909. The other earliest recorded winners for state football leagues were Johor in 1922 (P.W.D.A.A.), Malacca in 1929 (Malacca Chinese FA), Negeri Sembilan in 1929 (Nilai Club), Perak in 1932 (Perak Chinese RC) and Selangor in 1935 (Rangers). Alongside the leagues, cup competitions also take place.
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