Putrajaya has lost hope that Harimau Malaya, the Malaysian soccer team that has suffered crushing defeats at the international level, will be able to make a comeback for Malaysians to be proud of.

"We admit, this is the level of the team, which comprises senior and adult players," Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin told the Dewan Rakyat today.

Khairy said this after a few lawmakers, particularly Mohamed Hanipa Maidin (Amanah-Sepang), urged the government to put more serious efforts into improving the shameful performance of the national football team.

"Even if there was a possibility to improve, it would very little indeed. If they lost 0-6 (to Palestine) previously , maybe they’ll get 0-3 later. I am not belittling their abilities, but that is the level of their football today," said Khairy.

"This is due to the incorrectness in DNA, the way they were trained, the tactics used. We cannot teach new tactics to a 28-year-old players," he said when winding up the debate on Budget 2016 at the policy stage.

"That was how they were trained when they were younger [...] that's all they know," he said.

Thus, Khairy said, the ministry is eyeing the next generation of players to bring back the glory the country once enjoyed in football.

According to the MP for Rembau, this process will take time as the country needed to build its foundations from the ground up.

The government has set a target for Malaysia to enter Fifa U-17 championships by 2019, he added

Humiliating defeat

Palestine had whipped Harimau Malaya 6-0 in a Fifa World Cup qualifying match last Friday, a repeat of the 6-0 thrashing Palestine served Malaysia at their first-leg match at the Bukit Jalil Stadium on June 17.

The defeat brought back bitter memories of the 10-0 thrashing by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in September that led to the resignation of Harimau Malaya coach and former national player Dollah Salleh.

Harimau Malaya is set to meet UAE again on Nov 17 and will have to work hard to prevent a repeat of the humiliating result.