KUCHING: Sarawak’s football future brightens, with a focus on developing the state’s football landscape, raising standards, and scouting talent early ahead of the 2026 season.
The inaugural Sarawak Premier League may have just concluded, but it has already achieved a key goal: signaling to all Football Association divisions that the annual competition is here to stay.
“At least now every FA division knows that each year we will hold the Premier League and compete for the Premier Cup.
“So naturally, every FA division will prepare themselves and scout new talent and bring in promising players from the grassroots,” said Datuk Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman, president of the Football Association of Sarawak (FAS), in a recent interview.
Even though the first season focused more on participation than perfection, Fazzrudin said it was a crucial step toward structured football development in Sarawak.
Plans are already underway to review the first season. Post-mortem discussions will assess areas for improvement, from player eligibility rules to competition structure.
While the inaugural season allowed some flexibility to encourage participation, tighter regulations and higher standards are expected for 2026 and beyond.
“Our hope is that this league will be a platform for players to showcase their talent and, eventually, for external scouts to identify Sarawak’s next football stars,” he added.
The first season concluded with Bintulu FA lifting the Premier Cup, while Samarahan FA fell just short. Fazzrudin congratulated Bintulu and encouraged Samarahan to come back stronger next year.
Meanwhile, he revealed that the 2026 season is expected to start around July or August, with FA divisions running local competitions in tandem before the state-wide Premier League kicks off again.
With each passing year, the Premier League aims to raise the bar, nurture young talent, and secure Sarawak’s place on the Malaysian football map.
