Interim national coach Ong Kim Swee remains in the running for Malaysia's top job, despite missing out on the U23 role.
The appointment of German Frank Bernhardt to the U23s on Wednesday saw Ong's four year reign as Harimau Muda coach come to a close.
But Ong is believed to be on a shortlist of eight for the senior role, with a decision to be made by the end of the month. Ong took over in a caretaker capacity for the second time after Dollah Salleh stepped down in the wake of Malaysia's humiliating 10-0 defeat to United Arab Emirates in September.
"I am not affected by the decision ... I will continue my task as caretaker coach," he told New Straits Times.
"I have applied for the senior post."
Ong and his Australian assistant Brad Maloney have overseen an improved Malaysia performance in AFC World Cup qualifying, blemished by November's 6-0 defeat to Palestine. But they did record the first win of their campaign, away to Timor-Leste and lost narrowly -- 2-1 -- to the United Arab Emirates, who finished third in January's Asian Cup.
Bernhardt is a former Estonia U19 and U21 coach who had a stint in charge of St Pauli II in his native Germany.
The 46-year-old edged out Ong and ex-Philippines manager Michael Weiss. He has been offered a two-year contract with his main focus being the 2017 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
Bernhardt will be looking to improve on Malaysia's disappointing 2015 SEA Games in which they were eliminated during the group stages in Singapore.
Ong, and former Johor Darul Ta'zim coach Bojan Hodak, are the best known local names on the eight man shortlist.
It includes at least two other German candidates, one of whom is a household name who appeared in World Cups for his nation, according to sources within Football Association of Malaysia.