Global LFC Family: Malaysia

LFC officials, mindful that the open session was taking place during rush-hour in the capital, estimated around 5,000 fans would show up.

The LFC officials were wrong; when the players ran out to warm up, over 40,000 fans had packed into the ground - an incredible number that is still a record today for a Liverpool training session.

Muzili Aznor Musa was one of the 40,000 fans at training that night and he was also one of more than 80,000 supporters who filled every seat in the stadium the following evening to see Liverpool's first ever game in Malaysia. This is his story...

Name: Muzili Aznor Musa
Age: 33
City/country: Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia
Job: Self-employed/Admin of All Reds Malaysia (Official Supporters' Club of Malaysia)

Why did you pick Liverpool as your team?

It was love at first sight. I loved the tradition and history of the club - great players, great managers and passionate supporters.

What's your earliest LFC memory?

I don't really have a specific moment but I started to know about the club via matches shown on the local TV station. Then I started to pick up those great names such as Ian Rush, John Aldridge, Peter Beardsley and Bruce Grobbelaar to name but a few. I would also be looking at the match results and league standings in the local newspaper. The internet was still a dream at that time. We had very limited resources to find out about the team that we supported. One name that I would always remember would be Kenny Dalglish, our team manager of the time. I remembered that I had been appointed as the team manager for a friendly football match at school and I had the cheek to combine King Kenny's name with mine. Obviously it felt so cool at that time! Those were my earliest memories of LFC.

How did people in your country follow Liverpool's fortunes at first?

During the '80s and '90s, the TV and newspapers were our only source of information although there were some fans here who could afford to buy magazines such as 'Shoot' or 'Match' at that time.

Was it difficult to see the match?

It was a privilege in those days if we could catch a live match. Among the programmes that would show live matches was 'Road to Wembley' for the FA Cup games, and we could see the League Cup from the quarter-final onwards. Besides that, only the big league matches against teams such as Spurs and Arsenal were shown live. Otherwise, we would have to depend on the newspapers for the results a day after the match. Now we have internet access and satellite TV. It's helped even more so with the advent of social media and sites like Facebook and Twitter. Since social media seems compulsory to the fans - and we have @MalaysiaLFC - we can see a very healthy growth in the number of Liverpool fans in Malaysia. Many restaurants and sports cafes also began showing live EPL matches to attract customers and this is something very positive.

Who was your first LFC hero and why?

John Barnes, although that was because I was playing in the same position as Barnes during my school days. He was a great footballer for both club and country and formed a lethal combination with Aldridge and Beardsley at that time. I was lucky enough to meet him in person two years ago during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur. He did his rap for us too! He was such a humble and friendly person.

What is your favourite LFC memory?

The miracle of Istanbul. The glory is in the eye of the believer.

Who has been your favourite Liverpool manager and why?

Kenny Dalglish as he's dedicated his life to the club. Although there were limited resources during the '80s and '90s as I lived in a rural area, I would try to get every article and books about him. I remember during LFC's Singapore tour in 2009, he was a gentleman enough to distribute tickets for the team training to us fans in front of his hotel when he found out we didn't have any. That's what The King is all about.

What has been your lowest point supporting Liverpool?

The Tom Hicks and George Gillett era. LFC nearly went into administration and I wasn't sure if we would be able to turn it around. Luckily FSG came along and took over the club. Now I have very high hopes that the glory days are just around the corner.

Have you ever been to Anfield?

Not yet but I've made plans to visit Anfield next year and I have a vision of Stevie G lifting the Premier League trophy!

Where were you while we were in Istanbul?

I was watching at a local restaurant with some friends in Kuala Lumpur. At half-time, we felt that there was no way at all for a comeback. In fact, one of us suggested that we should go home. Fortunately none of us - including him - took the advice. The rest is history. I really enjoyed that night and it helped me to believe that anything is possible in life.

Do Liverpool have a passionate fan base where you're from?

The fans are everywhere. Since the introduction of social media, supporting Liverpool has become much more organised. Being with All Red Malaysia, I've taken the opportunity to share my passion with other Liverpool fans in Malaysia. We've been busy organising activities to attract new members. Besides getting together to watch the matches, we've been organising football and futsal matches and visiting Liverpool supporters from other states to get to know each other better. The result of these activities was seen during the LFC tour in 2011, when almost 90,000 supporters turned up for the match against our national team. This number was far greater in comparison with other EPL teams that held matches against our national team the same year. The discussions on social media - ranging from the club's history to the latest match results - are always buzzing. I'm also proud to see a good number of teenagers are supporting the club though we're no longer as successful as we were in the '80s. Most of these young fans are attracted to the club's history and traditions - which has become the club's pulse. 

Which team are considered Liverpool's biggest rivals in your country?

Manchester United.

Where do you go online to follow news about LFC?

Liverpoolfc.com. However, the official LFC page at Facebook and @LFC and @MalaysiaLFC on Twitter are all places that I visit every day.

Do you also support a local team?

Yes, my hometown team Negeri Sembilan and, of course, the national team - Harimau Malaya.

Who is your favourite current player and why?

It's Steven Gerrard, without a doubt. I read a few pages of his autobiography and it made me shed tears due to his passion for football and the club. He thought about his cousin who died at Hillsborough. It's interesting the way his father helps him to become a Liverpool player and the way he handled the offer from Chelsea after Istanbul in 2005. There are so many things I could highlight about him that will show his character and his love for the club. A great footballer, leader and human being and someone who has always been loyal to the club. I missed the LFC tour to Indonesia and Thailand this year but I hope that LFC will come back and bring our captain fantastic to Kuala Lumpur before he retires.

If you could meet anyone connected to Liverpool FC - past or present - who would it be and why?

I've been lucky as I've met a few ex-players. I had the opportunity to meet Phil Neal - one of the most decorated players in English football - back in 2012 and I've also met John Barnes and Kevin Keegan in person. To answer the question, I would love to meet King Kenny and Stevie G as they are what the club is all about.

What makes you most proud to be a Liverpool supporter?

The club's tradition, its players and managers and, of course, the support given to the team by fans all over the world. Liverpool is just like a second family to me. Wherever I go in Malaysia, there'll always be new friends that will entertain me based on our common love for the club. We might be seeing the match at restaurants or a sports cafe but the cheering and noise is as if we were at Anfield. I'm also blessed with Liverpool supporters that have become friends from Singapore and Indonesia. I frequently visit Singapore and I have always felt at home with my Liverpool supporter friends. Last year, I was in Indonesia for holidays and was treated very kindly by fellow supporters over there. YNWA has been meaningful and kind to me in every sense as a supporter. 

Finally, what does 'the Liverpool Way' mean to you?

A friend once said to me whilst we were filming a video tribute to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster: "Liverpool is about trust. Liverpool is about love. Liverpool is about life. Liverpool is about friendship. Liverpool is about passion. Liverpool is about respect. Most of all, though, Liverpool is about family.'

Click here to follow the official Liverpool FC Twitter account for Malaysia, @MalaysiaLFC.

Previous articles in the Global LFC Family series

South Africa - Melissa Reddy>>
Thailand - Jeerawan Duangnam Herriot>>
Australia - Wayne Psaila>>
Mexico - Victor Alvarado>>
Indonesia - Andhika Sarwendha Suksmana>>
Nepal - Nischal Adhikari>>
Ghana - Aristo Dotse>>
India - Kaushal Goyal>>
Singapore - Henry Hann>>
Bahrain - Mohamed Ashoor>>
Mongolia - Amarsaikhan Orsoo>>
Vietnam - Pham Quynh Le>>
USA - July 4th Special>>
Iran - Mohammad Reza Rahimi>>
South Korea - Yong-Suk Choi>>
Norway - Arild Skjæveland>>
Russia - Ivan Potapov>>
Myanmar - Khin Maung Cho>>
USA - Roy Yates>>
China - Chen Jing>>
Brazil - Bárbara Rubio>>
Kenya - Mitesh Chavda>>
Spain - Luis Gutierrez>>
Venezuela - Jorge De Castro>>
Greece - Efstratios Sakkias>>