Malaysia and Indonesia have warned their fans to be on their best behavior ahead of the semi-final showdown at Shah Alam Stadium on Saturday.
The tension between both sides have arisen since the misprinted upside down of the Indonesia flag in the SEA Games commemorative booklet came to light during the opening ceremony on 19 August at Bukit Jalil.
Malaysia Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has issued an apology to Indonesia president Joko Widodo over the matter.
“Football is a sport and fans will be inside the Shah Alam Stadium to watch a good match,” said Kim Swee in the pre-match press conference on Saturday, as reported by the New Straits Times.
“I urge the fans, both from Malaysia and Indonesia, to control their emotions and only support their respective teams.
“I hope the fans will not bring up other issues outside football… just enjoy the game.”
On the other hand, Indonesian assistant coach Bima Sakti said he hopes fans from both teams will behave accordingly.
“We do not want any incident that could affect both teams.
“Indonesia and Malaysia fans should act like brothers and just cheer for their teams.
“This is only football. Our fans are excited for their team, but they should only focus on motivating the team,” said Bima.