This is an attempt to improve the quality of young home-grown talent.

"The council felt that with the presence of foreign players, local players have not been given the opportunity," said Khairy Jamaluddin, deputy president of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

"We are back to the drawing board, our focus now will be development," he told the New Straits Times.

"We are not at the status of the English Premier League. Our league is not matured yet, therefore some drastic measures must be taken to improve it," Khairy reportedly said.