The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has suspended its secretary general pending an investigation into FIFA's claims of cheating by fielding ineligible players. FIFA last month suspended seven overseas-born players and fined FAM US$438,000 for submitting falsified documents in a 2027 Asian Cup qualifier. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission stated it would reopen probes if irregularities emerge from the ongoing appeal.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) announced on Friday the suspension of secretary general Noor Azman Rahman to allow an independent committee to investigate allegations of cheating raised by FIFA. The probe stems from a June 2027 Asian Cup qualifier where Malaysia defeated Vietnam 4-0, with seven overseas-born players featuring for the national team.
FIFA suspended the players last month, citing falsified or doctored documentation involving their grandparents' birthplaces. The governing body claimed FAM submitted forged documents stating the grandparents were born in Malaysia, making the players eligible under FIFA's nationality rules. Original certificates, however, showed the family members were born in the players' countries of origin: Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands, and Spain. FIFA's report noted that FAM admitted being contacted by external agencies about the players' heritage but failed to independently verify the documents.
FAM vice president Sivasundaram Sithamparam Pillai stated that the committee investigating the case includes no FAM members to ensure independence. "FAM maintains that these players were lawfully naturalized in accordance with Malaysian law," Pillai said. "FAM remains steadfast in our mission to uphold transparency, to protect Malaysian football’s reputation."
International sports lawyer Serge Vittoz, representing FAM, said the appeal against the sanctions centers on denying responsibility for any forgery. "There was no forgery on the side of the players. There was no forgery on the side of the FAM as an institution, and if any wrongdoing was done, it should be targeted to the person in question," Vittoz said at a news conference. FIFA is set to decide on the appeal on October 30; if unsuccessful, FAM may seek reduced liability or appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki indicated readiness to intervene. "We would not hesitate to reopen investigations should new evidence or irregularities surface, ensuring that the integrity of the entire process remains uncompromised," he said. MACC has not launched a formal probe, viewing the matter as a technical issue between FAM and FIFA related to document submission.
This scandal represents a setback for Malaysian soccer, especially with former FAM president Hamidin bin Haji Mohd Amin on the FIFA Council and ex-king Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah having served on FIFA's ruling committee from 2015 to 2019.