The 2019 Malaysia M3 League was the 1st season of the Malaysia M3 League that replaced the former Malaysia FAM League.
This season saw a revamp of the competition's format by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). Announced earlier on 24 November 2018 by FAM deputy president Yusoff Mahadi, the format of the new season was outlined in a meeting by FAM's Local Competition Committee and were announced in a media statement on 19 December 2018.
The format will be reverted to a straight knock-out tournament format (a format used before 2008), as opposed to the league format used since 2008. 64 teams competed for the FAM Cup, including 6 teams confirmed earlier to participate in the Malaysia FAM Cup, and teams promoted to the 2019 Malaysia Premier League. The rest of the teams included were 19 teams nominated by FAM's associate members, and teams from the newly created Malaysia M4 League, whose selection was subject to methods decided by the Malaysian Football League. The champions of the 2019 Malaysia FAM Cup then competed with the last-placed 2019 Malaysia Premier League team in a play-off match for a slot to participate in the 2020 Malaysia Premier League.
Earlier, there was speculation that the league organization might be taken over by the Malaysian Football League, organizers of the Malaysia Super League and the Malaysia Premier League, having been held by the FAM since 1951, but this was clarified in an FAM media statement that the FAM will cooperate with the MFL for the organization of the tournament, with the FAM still holding major responsibilities and ownership of the tournament and the rights of it. MFL covered the cost of the teams participating from the first round up until the quarter-finals, while the FAM covered the cost of the teams participating from that point onwards.
The following teams have changed division since the 2018 season.
Relegated from Premier League
Existing teams (From FAM League)
Promoted from the Malaysia M4 League
New Team
Promoted to the Premier League
<small>Notes:</small>
As of 11 February 2019, 14 teams confirmed their participation in the 2019 Malaysia M3 League.
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<small>Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.</small>
The number of foreign players is restricted to two each team.
<small>Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.</small>
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The runner-up of the Malaysia M3 League will play a one-legged play-off against the last-placed Malaysia Premier League team to decide the second team to be promoted to the 2020 Malaysia Premier League.
Players sorted first by goals, then by last name.
<sup>4</sup> Player scored 4 goals <br><sup>5</sup> Player scored 5 goals<br> (H) â Home team<br>(A) â Away team