Yesterday, a sharp-eyed reader flagged a typo in my September wrap. I wrote Q3 2023 when I meant Q3 2025.
Perhaps it was a slip born out of nostalgia for my stable salaried past as the present entrepreneurial run has been nothing but shocking and anxiety-inducing.
Anyway, this marks the first sports-themed edition of the newsletter, where I’ll be tackling the outsized yet polarising influence of Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Idris Ibrahim (TMJ) on Malaysian football.
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When it comes to the intersection of money and power in football, TMJ stands out as a compelling case study.
He wields outsized influence through his royal authority, shaping the game’s direction with substantial investments and tactical calls.
TMJ is the owner of Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), widely recognised as Malaysia’s dominant football club, and a vocal advocate for the “Harimau Malaya” national team.
Yet his assertive leadership — marked by concentrated decision-making and high-profile disputes — has drawn criticism over its wider impact on Malaysian football.
FIFA’s recent sanctions against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), highlight potential vulnerabilities in TMJ’s ambitious blueprint, underscoring how individual drive can, at times, eclipse collective progress.