Perak: The First Champion of the 1967 Malaysia Cup

Perak: The First Champion of the 1967 Malaysia Cup

The Malaysia Cup is a prestigious football tournament in Malaysia and one of the oldest in the Asian region. It is contested annually according to the format set by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), and the Malaysia Cup final serves as the curtain-closer for the country's annual football season.

The Malaysia Cup began in 1921, when it was known as the Malaya Cup. It was an inter-state football tournament for the states that formed Malaya. Now, after nearly 96 years, the Malaysia Cup remains a highly coveted trophy for the nation's football teams.

At that time, the final involved the northern and southern champions, who had progressed through tournaments in their respective regions. In 1933, the Malaya Cup was renamed the HMS Malaya Cup, named after the HMS Malaya warship.

In 1967, the trophy was replaced by a new one, the Malaysia Cup. That year, the Perak team became the champion, indirectly making history as the first team to win the new Malaysia Cup.

Shortly after, teams from Borneo—Sabah, Sarawak, and Brunei—began participating in the Malaysia Cup. Starting in 1982, a league tournament was introduced to determine who would qualify for the final.

It is contested after the Malaysian football league concludes, and only teams with the best performance in the league are eligible to compete for the Malaysia Cup. However, in 1995, Singapore ceased playing in the Malaysia League and, consequently, no longer participated in the Malaysia Cup.

In 1999, the number of teams entering the Malaysia Cup increased to 12. A year later, the number of teams rose to 16, and for the first time, a club-status team, Johor FC, successfully participated in the Malaysia Cup.