‘Congratulations, Harimau Malaya! No Public Holiday, Okay,’ PM Anwar Jokes

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim congratulated Harimau Malaya on their victory over Vietnam, securing third place in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026.

Anwar said the achievement also saw the national squad finish the tournament unbeaten and without conceding a single goal.

“Thank you to all the players and coaching staff for their dedication and fighting spirit in representing the nation,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday.

The Prime Minister also offered words of encouragement to the national squad, urging them to continue striving for success and bringing honour to the country.

In a light-hearted remark, Anwar also reminded everyone that no public holiday would be declared following the achievement.

“No public holiday, okay, including for foreigners working in Malaysia. It’s business as usual tomorrow,” he said.

Earlier, Malaysia ended a 12-year wait for a victory over Vietnam after securing a 1-0 win in the third-place playoff of the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (GBK) in Jakarta on Monday.

Substitute Fergus Tierney emerged as Harimau Malaya’s hero, scoring the only goal of the match in the 62nd minute to ensure that the squad, led by interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe, finished the tournament in third place.

BERNAMA