The Football Federation of Malaysia (FAM) announced on October 17 its decision to suspend its secretary-general and establish an independent committee. This significant move comes as the federation grapples with severe sanctions imposed by FIFA, the world governing body for football, stemming from allegations of player fraud involving the falsification of documents for foreign players.
Earlier this week, FIFA had levied substantial penalties against FAM. These included a hefty fine exceeding $400,000 and a one-year ban from all football activities for seven specific players. FIFA’s comprehensive investigation concluded that FAM provided false documentation and conspired with doctors to falsely assert that these seven foreign players possessed Malaysian ancestry, despite finding no genuine affiliation with the Southeast Asian nation.
While FAM has admitted to administrative wrongdoing in the processes involved, it vehemently denies any intentional participation in fraudulent activities. Consequently, the federation has lodged an appeal against FIFA’s initial ruling. A final decision on whether to uphold or withdraw the penalties against FAM now rests with FIFA’s disciplinary committee.
In a parallel development, and coinciding with FAM’s appeal, Vice President S. Sivasundaram announced plans for the independent committee. This committee’s mandate is to thoroughly examine the precise origins of the incident, aiming to safeguard the institution’s integrity and reputational standing within the global football community. To ensure the committee can perform its duties with the utmost quality and transparency, Noor Azman Rahman has stepped down from his role as FAM Secretary-General.
The specific sanctions from FIFA against the Malaysian Football Federation include a total fine of $440,000. Additionally, the seven players involved have been suspended from all football-related activities for 12 months, with each also incurring a personal fine of $2,500. The banned players are Gabriel Palmero and Jon Irazabal, both from Spain; Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, and Imanol Machuca, all from Argentina; Joao Figueiredo of Brazil; and Hector Hevel, a Dutch national.
