Tarnished Reputation and Fraud Allegations in Malaysian Football Scandal
Serious allegations of deception and document falsification lie at the core of a football eligibility dispute in Malaysia, which a high-ranking government official stated 'harms the nation's reputation'.
The international football authority FIFA recently imposed a one-year ban on seven non-native Malaysian national squad members and levied a $440,000 penalty against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
This week, FIFA's disciplinary panel released a critical 19-page document outlining their conclusions.
The report indicated that the materials submitted by FAM revealed alterations or counterfeit elements, specifically that the documents had been modified to change the listed place of birth.
The FAM asserts it acted honestly, attributing the issue to a 'technical mistake' and confirming plans to challenge the decision.
Amid the ongoing debate, the Minister for Youth and Sports Hannah Yeoh stated that the FIFA report includes grave claims requiring resolution.
Yeoh informed the national news service Bernama, 'While FAM has described this as a technical error or staff mistake, all aspects require improvement.'
'Given the 19-page report's severe criticisms from FIFA, which damages the nation's standing,' she continued.
FIFA revealed the suspension on September 27 following a complaint regarding the seven players, all of whom participated in Malaysia's 4-0 Asian Cup qualifier victory against Vietnam in June, with two contributing goals.
This win marked Malaysia's first triumph over Southeast Asian opponents Vietnam in eleven years, sparking enthusiastic celebrations among a 60,000-strong audience in Kuala Lumpur.
The seven — Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca and Joao Brandao Figueredo — all claim to have grandparents born in Malaysia.
A Case of Dishonesty
FIFA regulations permit foreign-born athletes to play for a nation if their biological parents or grandparents were born in that country.
Nonetheless, FIFA's disciplinary panel stated they secured original birth certificates confirming grandparents were born in Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands, or Spain.
'The original birth records presented a stark difference compared to the submitted paperwork,' the document noted.
'The committee stressed that submitting false documents to secure national team eligibility is, straightforwardly, a type of dishonesty that cannot be tolerated,' the report stated.
'Given the available evidence, the Secretariat is confident the submitted materials are counterfeit,' it continued.
'The players utilised these documents to bypass relevant FIFA rules and qualify for the Football Association of Malaysia's team,' the report added.
The FAM has stated it treats this matter with gravity and conducted all necessary verifications and checks.
'Neither the FAM nor the players were aware that certain submitted documents could have been falsified,' according to the FIFA report.
'The FAM firmly rejects any implication of involvement in document falsification or manipulation,' their statement affirmed.
'Claiming players deliberately bypassed eligibility rules or submitted fake documents is not just incorrect, but also slanderous,' the statement continued.
The organisation urged FIFA to 'conclude the investigation, ruling the complaint unfounded'.
The governing body for Asian football announced on Wednesday that it would await the result of any appeal before determining further measures against Malaysia.
The Asian Football Confederation, headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, may overturn the outcome of the Malaysia-Vietnam fixture and apply additional penalties.