Nation building through sport : fan support and political sensibilities in the Malaysia Cup from 1965-1995

This paper asserts that the Singapore FA’s involvement in the Malaysia Cup from 1965-1995 did foster a sense of nationhood amongst Singaporeans as an imagined connection was established in the common support for the Singapore team. However, the political priorities of the state meant that state policy did not necessarily align with supporters’ sentiments, and the national imagining was often spontaneous and initiated at the ground level. Nevertheless, this form of nation building proved to be ultimately unsustainable given the unique circumstances of Singapore’s participation in the competition; delicate Singapore-Malaysia bilateral relations contributed to a tenuous partnership, which saw Singapore evicted thrice from the Malaysia Cup in a span of thirty years. Indeed, these political ambiguities rendered the imagined national linkages to be unstable and vulnerable.Bachelor of Art