The team was aimed at developing Malaysian youth players and does not recruit any foreign nationals in its squad.
[2] Due to international duties, The Malaysia national U-21 team were needed to participate in the 2010 AFC U-19 Championship qualification.
However, they managed to avoid relegation and will continue to play in the Malaysia Premier League.
Instead, Harimau Muda A undergo an 8 month long training in central Europe and mainly based at Zlaté Moravce, Slovakia to prepare to defend their title in the 2013 Southeast Asian Games.
In 2015, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, former FAM's Deputy President has stated that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) must disband the Harimau Muda system, stating the Harimau Muda system is no longer relevant, it was not planned for the long term, and the state football associations should take the responsibility to groom potential players.