PUTRAJAYA, A total of RM15 million has been allocated to elevate the national football team, Harimau Malaya, into a football giant in the Asian region. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said of that amount, RM10 million will be allocated by the government through the Ministry of Finance while RM5 million is a commitment from the private sector. He said the move was also to ensure that Harimau Malaya could guarantee the welfare of its players and employ the best managers and coaches. "If we get managers and coaches who show their commitment even though they are from abroad, I believe we can raise the name and reputation of Harimau Malaya in representing our beloved country, Malaysia. "We want to ensure the comfort and welfare of the football players, their managers and coaches," he said when speaking at the Finance Ministry Staff Gathering here today. The Prime Minister said he will hold a meeting with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) after returning from an official visit to Russia to at tend the Eastern Economic Forum, which runs from today to Friday. He will also ask the Minister of Youth and Sports Hannah Yeoh to immediately coordinate the distribution of allocation besides assigning a senior official of the Ministry of Finance to ensure that all related financial matters are in order. "Hopefully, apart from driving economic growth, we can also showcase Malaysia's excellent football performance," he said. Anwar also announced that he would personally monitor and assist in efforts to strengthen the Harimau Malaya team. "Recalling the many problems of people, especially our young people who are interested in football, I decided to personally monitor and help strengthen the Harimau Malaya team," he said. Source: BERNAMA News Agency