The Malaysian minister warmly greeted us to the stadium. "Welcome to New South Wales against T-Team," he said, smiling broadly.
It was a balmy Wednesday night in the Malaysian city of Seremban and, without any pre-publicity, a curious crowd of more than 5000 had turned up for the first trial game of 2016.
The state of Negeri Sembilan, one hour's drive south of Kuala Lumpur, is more than 6000 kilometres from New South Wales. 
But Mohamad Haji Hassan, Negeri's Menteri Besar - the chief minister - was referencing the Australian flavour that the Malaysian club has embraced for the 2016 season.
Drastic measures have been taken by fallen giants Negeri - without any silverware in the last five years -- to earn promotion to the Super League after their disappointing sixth place finish in the second tier last season.
Coach Gary Phillips, who grew up on the New South Wales' north coast, has assembled Negeri's former A-League quartet.
Among them are 27-year-old captain Taylor Regan, who hails from the Hunter Valley and played six seasons as a defender with the Newcastle Jets in the A-League, and forward Joel Chianese, 25, once a rising young star with Sydney FC who grew up in the Italian community in the city's far west.
The other two former A-Leaguers aren't actually from New South Wales. Andrew Nabbout, 23, is an ex-Melbourne Victory forward with 40 A-League and AFC Champions League games and five goals.
Ex-Wellington Phoenix midfielder Alex Smith, 30, was most recently living in Queensland, but was born in England and grew up in the United States before getting his Australian passport last year.
With their wives and partners in tow, the Aussie imports are living in the same Seremban housing estate. In TV sit-com terms, it's a little like "Friends" meets "Neighbours," as the group eat, shop and socialise together.
"I've played against all the boys here and we are at lunch, and dinner, almost every day together," Chianese said. "The banter is there and we're always having a laugh and it makes things easier on the pitch."
Chianese was under ex-Brisbane Roar championship-winning coach Mike Mulvey at Malaysian second division side Sabah last season, but for the other three, it will be their first foray at an Asian club.
Amidst the ownership turmoil that engulfed the Newcastle Jets last year, Regan was axed by his hometown club last   April just three days after winning the 2015 member's player of the year award.
"It was crazy but things happen for a reason and the stars aligned to bring me to Malaysia," Regan said.
"Obviously, having four foreigners who know each other makes it easier and for the local boys, our Bahasa [Malaysian language] is getting better. I know how to tell them 'left' and 'right' and how to communicate with them."
Nabbout's early performances as a teenager for Melbourne Victory four years ago, including two goals off the bench in a comeback victory against Sydney FC, attracted inquiries from the nation of his family, Lebanon.
But, with international strikers like Archie Thompson, Besart Berisha and Kosta Barbarouses ahead of him in the Victory pecking order, he was harshly cut by the A-League champions last   April.
"I was disappointed, but that's football so it's good to get a fresh start in Malaysia," he said. "It's a great opportunity for the four of us here. On a personal note, I am aiming for 20 goals in all competitions and at least 15 in the league."
Smith's resume is the most colourful of the foursome and includes a brief stint with FC Dallas in Major League Soccer, trials with Walsall and Shrewsbury Town in England and several seasons in semi-professional football in Australia, in addition to his two years with Wellington Phoenix in the A-League.
"I've never really fitted in anywhere so it's another chapter in my book," Smith said in a clipped mid-Atlantic accent.
"Our goal is to get promoted to the Super League and we're working hard to do that. We are really going to try and play instead of pumping it long, and, hopefully turn a few heads."
Adding to the international flavour at Negeri are Swiss-born midfielder Kevin Gunter, whose mother is from Sarawak and Daniel Ting, a fullback who played non-league football in England.
The two 22-year-olds have freshly minted Malaysian passports so they won't count as foreigners.
On the night of the trial game against T-Team, Nabbout coolly converted a penalty that was won by Chianese to open the scoring before Regan got on the end of a scrappy header after a goal mouth scramble, in a 2-1 victory.
Among the interested spectators alongside Dato Mohamed, and the club's chief sponsor Matrix Concept, were assistant national team coach Brad Maloney and another former Australia international, Scott Ollerenshaw.
Malaysia-based Ollerenshaw, who played the 1998 season as an import striker with Negeri, was behind the club's foreign recruitment for the 2016 campaign.
After a pre-season tour of Thailand this week, their first Malaysia Premier League match is at home to Kuantan on Feb. 12, when the relatively relaxed atmosphere at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium is certain to change.
The pressure will be on coach Phillips to help Negeri earn promotion at the first attempt as he did in charge of Sabah in 2010.
"We are looking to dominate play and keep possession," Regan said. "Negeri's a big club. If we do well here, I'm sure we'll be looked after. Being able to lead this team is a big honour and this team deserves to be back in the Super League."
* Former Herald journalist Jason Dasey is a Singapore-based Senior Editor of global football website: www.espnfc.com