Peter Butler, a former West Ham United star, was a tough-tackling no-nonsense midfielder in the early days of the English Premier League, but he is taking on his biggest opponent yet — match fixing, corruption and unprofessionalism in Malaysian soccer. At least that is how he sees it. But not all in the country would agree.

He is an experienced coach in the region with spells in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar. Now he is having quite a season with Terengganu in the Malaysian league. This month alone he has challenged two of his players to take a polygraph test and accused his goalkeeper of match fixing in the most public way possible.

Butler, an Englishman, does not stay in one job too long – this is his ninth position since arriving a decade ago in Southeast Asia, a fascinating if volatile soccer region — and perhaps a determination to speak his mind is a contributing factor. He has been warned not to cycle around Terengganu. How long he stays will depend on whether the management decides to take his side or that of the three players he has thrown off the team in recent days.

It all started in late August. The team was preparing for a vital Malaysia Cup match against Kedah. Terengganu had lost its previous two games in its group and needed a win if it was to have any hope of progressing to the quarterfinal. It ended, 1-1, but two of the team’s star players, Muslim Ahmad and Ismail Faruqi, both internationals, did not feature.

They had been kicked off the team. Butler accused them of breaking curfew and bringing women back to the hotel earlier that week.

The players, both internationals, deny the accusations. Muslim said he was out late to buy medicine for his sick teammate. “We might have returned late to our room but those who say that we had girls with us are liars and they are out to humiliate us or get us into trouble,” Muslim said. “I am still single and perhaps this kind of news is not too damaging but it must be a different story for Ismail, who recently married.”

Butler replied that it was not about the company they kept, but about the curfew that they did not. “I really could not care less about the girls who were seen with them in the corridor, but they can’t be doing it at 3 o’clock in the morning as they have a 10:30 p.m. curfew.”

The players demanded an apology but received something rather different — a challenge from Butler to take a lie-detector test. “I will take the polygraph as well to prove that I am no liar and I am sure the boys will have no objection to this proposal if they really have nothing to hide,” Butler said. “As for the expenses, I will pay for their airfare, accommodation, the cost for the test and everything else.”

If such squabbles are usual, they usually take place behind closed doors. If that was a public falling-out, it was nothing compared with what took place during the game against Kedah.

Goalkeeper Ahmad Sharbinee Allawee, one of the best in the country, fumbled a corner into his own goal to give Kedah an equalizer. Butler did not see it as an accident. Immediately, he substituted the player, giving him a shove in the back as he left the pitch for good measure. The message was clear and just in case there was any doubt, Butler dispelled it in his postmatch comments.

“We don’t need such players. We only want those who put in an honest effort. I can safely say that he won’t feature in the team anymore.”

Sharbinee was not a happy man. As he headed off for an unwelcome early bath, he spat and threw a water bottle in Butler’s direction. He then protested his innocence. “I have always accepted criticism, especially from the coach, but it was always in the dressing room. I admit I lost my temper as he also hurled curses at me. I couldn’t contain my anger and retaliated by throwing the water bottle.”

“I want to clear my name. I have never sold a match and it saddens me that people have labeled me as corrupt,” he told The Star.

The goalkeeper said he welcomed the investigation from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, which has taken statements from eight people at the club. If it has moved quickly, it has to. Match fixing casts a shadow over Malaysian soccer. A scandal in 1994 led to almost 200 players and coaches questioned, almost half of whom were suspended or fired. Earlier this year, the Football Association of Malaysia suspended 18 youth players and barred one coach for life.

At the moment, the atmosphere at the club is unsurprisingly uneasy. The club is trying to get to the bottom of the incidents.

Che Mat Jusoh, the team manager, chaired an emergency committee meeting which heard evidence from Butler as well as the three players. He cited these off-the-field distractions as contributing factors to an early cup exit, the first time since 2000 that the team has failed to reach the quarterfinal stage.

The results of investigations into the players will be disclosed on Sept. 17. Public comments made by the team manager have been mixed with messages of support for the coach as well as warnings that he should not get too emotional.

When contacted for this article, Butler said he could not comment any further, but he did write on Twitter, “If I get brought down, so be it, but I’ll go down bringing the pack of cards with me.”