Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Hamidin Amin voiced his appreciation for Dr Mahathir Mohamad on his support for the association's proposal to use naturalised players to improve the quality of national football in the short term.

Local media reported that the Prime Minister had approved naturalising players to play for the national team but stressed that the move should not be to the point of marginalising local players.

Hamidin had previously voiced his suggestion to take naturalised players as soon as he took office on July 14.

"I want to express my deepest gratitude to Tun Dr Mahathir for his constant care and monitoring of the development of the national football team and the contribution from the government will definitely play a positive role in advancing local football.

"Taking a positive response from Tun Dr Mahathir's statement today, the FAM will immediately mobilise a special committee to further refine the matter regarding taking naturalised player for the next steps," he said in a statement on Monday.

Pahang star Mohamadou Sumareh should be at the top of the list of naturalised players who are likely to be able to play for the Harimau Malaya squad after the 23-year-old obtained his Malaysian citizenship in April.

In the same statement, Hamidin explained that at the FAM Executive Committee Meeting in Melaka on Saturday, the FAM had agreed to appoint deputy president Yusoff Mahadi to be a Special Committee chairman in preparation for the recruitment of naturalised players.

"However, the FAM will continue to strive to empower grassroots programmes as suggested by the Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman as a long-term solution to produce future Harimau Malaya players even though it is working towards using naturalised players in the near future," he added.