PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) have strongly denied allegations circulating on social media claiming that 91 percent of the club’s revenue in 2024 came from public or government-linked sources, describing the claim as inaccurate and misleading.
In a statement, JDT technical director Alistair Edwards said the figures had been misrepresented despite references in the club’s audited financial accounts to the Johor Sports Council and government grants.
Edwards explained that it is standard practice in Malaysia for sponsorships from private companies to be channelled through sports councils — at both national and state levels — primarily for tax relief purposes.
"As such, a large portion of the funds referenced are private sponsorships that are routed through the Sports Council, which may have led to the misunderstanding," he said.
He added that government grants and donations received are specifically allocated for grassroots sports development initiatives, including youth tournaments and district-level programmes across Johor.
According to Edwards, much of the funding is distributed to the Johor Football Association (PNBJ) and district football associations to support grassroots football activities.
JDT stressed that these grants are not used for the club’s football operations, including first-team expenses, employee salaries, academy operations or the maintenance of club assets.
The club reiterated that its professional football operations are funded independently and not through public or government funds.
