Police Escort, ‘Anjing’ Chants, And A 0-0 Draw: What Really Happened At The Malaysia-Indonesia Match
The football ended in a stalemate, but the bigger story from Sunday’s (27 Sep) FIFA ASEAN Cup clash in Jakarta was off the pitch – Malaysian fans required a police escort to leave safely, and Indonesian supporters were filmed repeating the same anti-Malaysia chant that drew a formal protest in 2018.
Malaysia and Indonesia drew 0-0 in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 on Monday (28 September) at Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) in Jakarta.
Clips of Indonesian fans chanting “Malaysia itu anjing” have since circulated online.
The result keeps Malaysia at the top of Group A with four points. Indonesia sit second on the same number of points, separated by goal difference.
Indonesia’s midfielder Thom Haye was sent off in the 36th minute after a VAR review upgraded his yellow card to a red.
Malaysia had the better of the chances after that. Indonesia goalkeeper Maarten Paes made a key save in the 28th minute, and Malaysia’s Brazilian-born forward Paulo Josue headed over from close range in the 63rd.
Indonesia’s Justin Hubner, a Dutch-born defender, hit the post with a header before half-time.
IDN Times reported that Indonesian fans jeered and verbally abused Malaysian supporters as they left the stands after the match.
Police escorted them out of the area.
Before kick-off, a Malaysian supporter from Johor told CNN Indonesia he felt comfortable attending the match. He said both sides should only compete on the pitch.
A Threads user said Indonesian fans had gone too far again by insulting Malaysia and didn’t realise the damage they were causing.
Another Threads user asked why so many Indonesians appear to dislike Malaysia and what has caused the resentment.
The “Malaysia itu anjing” chant was also heard at the 2018 AFF Under-16 Championship in Surabaya.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) sent a letter of protest to the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The final group matches will decide who tops Group A and advances to the final. Indonesia face Bangladesh on Thursday (1 October).
