Football league competition in Malaysia began in 1982, with each state represented by its own teams competing in the Liga Malaysia. [1] [2] However, its purpose was only to serve as a qualifying round for the knockout stage of the Malaysia Cup. At that time, all states, in addition to the police and military teams, participated in this league, as well as Singapore and Brunei, which send an amateur team to the competition.
Between 1989 and 1993, the Malaysian football league entered the semi-professional era with the establishment of the Liga Semi-Pro (MSPFL). [3]
From 1994 to 1997, Malaysian football witnessed the establishment of the country's first professional football league, the Liga Perdana, in which all teams were classified into a single league. [4]
In 1998, the league was split again with the creation of two divisions, Liga Perdana 1 and Liga Perdana 2, which operated until 2003. [5]
The Malaysia Super League was introduced in 2004 to replace the previous top division as Malaysian football entered an era of football league privatization. [6]
Below are the list of the top division amateur league champions from the introduction of league trophy in 1982 to 1988. [2]
| Year | Champions (number of titles) | Runners-up | Third place | Leading goalscorer | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Penang | Federal Territory | Selangor | ||
| 1983 | Malacca | Penang | Kelantan | ||
| 1984 | Selangor | Pahang | Penang | ||
| 1985 | Singapore | Johor | Pahang | ||
| 1986 | Kuala Lumpur | Singapore | Selangor | ||
| 1987 | Pahang | Kuala Lumpur | Singapore | ||
| 1988 | Kuala Lumpur (2) | Singapore | Kelantan | ||
Below are the list of the top division semi-pro league champions from 1989 to 1993. [2]
| Year | Champions (number of titles) | Runners-up | Third place | Leading goalscorer | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Selangor (2) | Kuala Lumpur | Kedah | Zainal Abidin Hassan (Selangor) | 12 |
| 1990 | Selangor (3) | Singapore | Perak | Alistair Edwards (Singapore) | 13 |
| 1991 | Johor | Pahang | Perak | Abbas Saad (Johor) | 11 |
| 1992 | Pahang (2) | Terengganu | Negeri Sembilan | Zainal Abidin Hassan (Pahang) | 12 |
| 1993 | Kedah | Sarawak | Perak | Mohd Hashim Mustapha (Kelantan) | 13 |
Below are the list of the top division professional league champions from 1994 to 1997. [2]
| Year | Champions (number of titles) | Runners-up | Third place | Leading goalscorer | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Singapore (2) | Kedah | Sarawak | Mohd Hashim Mustapha (Kelantan) | 25 |
| 1995 | Pahang (3) | Selangor | Sarawak | Scott Ollerenshaw (Sabah) | 22 |
| 1996 | Sabah | Kedah | Negeri Sembilan | Scott Ollerenshaw (Sabah) | 18 |
| 1997 | Sarawak | Kedah | Sabah | Laszlo Repasi (Perak) | 19 |
Below are the list of the top division league champions from 1998 to 2003. [2]
| Year | Champions (number of titles) | Runners-up | Third place | Leading goalscorer | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Penang (2) | Pahang | Brunei | Vyacheslav Melnikov (Pahang) | 17 |
| 1999 | Pahang (4) | Penang | Negeri Sembilan | Azman Adnan (Penang) | 13 |
| 2000 | Selangor (4) | Penang | Perak | Azizul Kamaluddin (Pahang) | 12 |
| 2001 | Penang (3) | Terengganu | Kelantan | Norizam Ali Hassan (Perak) | 13 |
| 2002 | Perak | Selangor | Sabah | Muhamad Khalid Jamlus (Perak) | 17 |
| 2003 | Perak (2) | Kedah | Perlis | Phillimon Chepita (Perlis) | 23 |
Below are the list of the top division league champions from 2004 to present. [2]
The table below list the top division winners since league trophy was introduced for the winners of Liga Malaysia in 1982. [1] [2]
| Team | Winners | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| Johor Darul Ta'zim | 11 | 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024–25 |
| Selangor | 6 | 1984, 1989, 1990, 2000, 2009, 2010 |
| Sri Pahang | 5 | 1987, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2004 |
| Penang | 3 | 1982, 1998, 2001 |
| Kedah Darul Aman | 3 | 1993, 2006–07, 2007–08 |
| Singapore | 2 | 1985, 1994 |
| Kuala Lumpur City | 2 | 1986, 1988 |
| Perak | 2 | 2002, 2003 |
| Kelantan | 2 | 2011, 2012 |
| Melaka United | 1 | 1983 |
| Johor FA | 1 | 1991 |
| Sabah | 1 | 1996 |
| Sarawak FA | 1 | 1997 |
| Perlis FA | 1 | 2005 |
| Negeri Sembilan | 1 | 2005–06 |
| LionsXII | 1 | 2013 |
Below are the list of the total top division titles won by region. [2]
| Region | Number of titles | Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| South | 14 | Johor Darul Ta'zim (11), Johor FA (1), Melaka United (1), Negeri Sembilan (1) |
| North | 9 | Kedah Darul Aman (3), Penang (3), Perak (2), Perlis FA (1) |
| Klang Valley | 8 | Selangor (6), Kuala Lumpur City (2) |
| East Coast | 7 | Sri Pahang (5), Kelantan (2) |
| International | 3 | Singapore (2), LionsXII (1) |
| Borneo | 2 | Sabah (1), Sarawak FA (1) |