Mahadir Harahap: The Homegrown Star Who Followed His Ambition to JDT

Some transfers carry a story before the announcement is even made. When Johor Darul Ta'zim Futsal confirmed the signing of Mahadir Harahap from Pahang Rangers in January 2024, the move had been weeks in the making, and weeks in the headlines.

The 24-year-old pivot and his compatriot Mohd Ridzwan were reported missing from Pahang Rangers' pre-season training, and by the time JDT officially unveiled them, the futsal press had already written the story. Pahang Rangers, the club that had given Mahadir his platform, confirmed the pair had left for undisclosed transfer fees. For a domestic futsal transfer, it was as close to a saga as the MPFL has seen.

The interest was understandable. Mahadir had been one of the breakout players of the 2023 season, the year Pahang Rangers won both the MPFL title and the Malaysia Futsal Cup and were crowned the country's dominant force. His performances that season, including goals in both legs of the MPFL semi-final win over Selangor MAC, the first of which came in the 14th minute of the first leg to help overturn an early deficit, caught the eye of the national team coaching staff. His first call-up to the Malaysia squad followed soon after, ahead of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup qualifiers in Uzbekistan.

Born on 7 March 2000, Mahadir plays as a fixo and pivot, a versatile defensive and attacking midfielder whose physical strength and reading of the game made him a target for JDT as they sought to strengthen the spine of their squad. He has since been a regular fixture in the national setup, included in the squad for the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup in Jakarta and called into the preliminary camp ahead of the ASEAN Futsal Championship, though he was among the four players cut from the final 14.

In the 2026 MPFL season, Mahadir has contributed seven goals from seven appearances as JDT's title charge has gathered pace. The standout performance came in the 10-1 victory over PFA Odin Sarawak in circuit three, where he opened the scoring in the 1st minute and added further goals in the 8th and 23rd minutes, a hat-trick inside the first quarter of the match that earned him the MVP award and set a tone from which Sarawak never recovered. Further goals against Selangor in circuit three and ATM in circuit four have confirmed his contribution to a JDT campaign that stands at five wins, one draw and one defeat through the opening four circuits.

The contrast with his previous club is not lost on those who follow the MPFL closely. Mahadir won his medals at Pahang Rangers under Gerard Casas; he is now chasing further honours at JDT under João Nuno Alves De Almeida alongside a squad that includes Spanish international Andresito and fellow Brazilian Bruno Taffy. For a player who has risen quickly through the domestic game since his emergence in 2023, the ambition that drove the transfer has so far been well-placed.