Fam Goes To War Firing Blanks With Same Forged Papers

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A day after the International Federation of Association Football (Fifa) dismissed the Football Association of Malaysia’s (FAM) appeal over the falsification of documents tied to seven foreign-born players, a week ago, acting president Yusoff Mahadi declared the next move.
The FAM will take its challenge to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and Yusoff described it as “a major war” to defend Malaysia’s footballing reputation, declaring that all resources would be used.
But what kind of war is this, when the generals march in empty-handed? The birth certificates of the players’ grandparents presented by FAM are forged. CAS will have access to the originals, and FAM will be left with egg - not honour - on their faces.
Yusoff insisted FAM will be “ready with all the documents and relevant details” to overturn Fifa’s ruling. Yet the irony is glaring: the very documents that triggered this scandal have already been deemed falsified.
ADSCAS will not concern itself with whether the seven players were granted Malaysian citizenship or with the internal processes behind it - including the so-called “instant citizenship” approach, likened to preparing instant noodles.
They want to establish only one important issue: Were the documents tendered to Fifa for their registration false or forged?
What new evidence can FAM possibly present? Another creative genealogy? Another “authoritative” testimony on the ancestral roots of imported talent from that infamous professor whose studies have claimed Malays could fly and taught ancient Romans how to build boats?
This is not bravado - it’s institutional denial.
Biting us in the behind
FAM’s manoeuvre to naturalise seven foreign players under dubious claims of Malaysian heritage was not just reckless. It was deceptive.
Now cornered, the governing body faces a fine of 350,000 Swiss francs (RM1.8 million), while each of the seven players - Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Heve - has been slapped with a 12-month suspension and an additional fine of 2,000 Swiss francs (RM10,800).
Still, Yusoff maintains that FAM “will not back down” and is “prepared to face any challenge ahead.” He spoke of pride, justice, and national dignity, but where was that pride when the association chose shortcuts and discarded integrity?
FAM acting president Yusoff MahadiThe 21-day window to appeal to CAS is ticking. FAM promises to “fully utilise” it, deploying a team of experienced lawyers.
But legal muscle cannot mask administrative failure. Nor can it erase the fact that this scandal has already tarnished Malaysia’s standing in global football.
This is not a war. It is damage control dressed as defiance.
And while FAM calls on fans to “pray and support”, the public deserves more than prayers. It deserves transparency, accountability, and reform. Because if this is the hill FAM chooses to die on, it will not be a battlefield, but it will end up in a graveyard of credibility.
ADSThe lies run deep
So how did we get here? Was it a clerical mistake by junior staff, as FAM claimed when it suspended secretary Noor Azman Rahman - widely seen as the fall guy?
No. The roots of deception run deeper than the players’ June 10 appearance against Vietnam.
Five months earlier, Jan 11 to be exact, a seemingly innocuous note appeared on the homepage of Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim - better known by his official title, Tunku Mahkota Johor (TMJ).
It is reproduced verbatim: “We have identified six or seven players for Harimau Malaya and hope the government can assist in the process of obtaining Malaysian passports for them in order to play for Harimau Malaya in Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, which start in March. It is crucial Harimau Malaya starts the campaign on a good note.”
Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan IbrahimNo one knew his role then except that he was not part of the FAM set-up. It was only revealed later by Harimau Malaya CEO Bob Friend that TMJ “was up there - the third tier within the FAM system”.
After the 4-0 win over Vietnam, the nation - including Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim - went into euphoric overdrive, as if Malaysia had just won the World Cup. There was back-slapping, gushing statements, and a chorus of gratitude.
FAM extended its “deepest appreciation” to TMJ for his role in “revolutionising” the national team. Then-president Joehari Ayub declared the victory a turning point.
At the same time, another statement thanked the prime minister and the government for their “full assistance”, including help with documentation for the new heritage players.
From these statements, one issue was certain - a plea was made to Anwar and the government to “facilitate” (read: “manufacture and supply”) citizenship papers.
And with those papers, the nation celebrated, but behind the celebration, danger and discontent simmered.
How did these players receive citizenship in a flash, while tens of thousands have waited decades? Were shortcuts and special treatment granted?
Damage control
At the time, answers were scarce. When the scandal broke on Sept 27 with the announcement in Zurich, the response was immature: “They were approved before - why the fuss now?”
It was the rhetorical equivalent of being caught with hands in the cookie jar.
It does not take a rocket scientist to trace what happened. The documents were initially accepted at face value - until complaints poured in. Then Fifa had no choice but to act to protect the integrity of the sport.
What followed was a full-blown institutional meltdown. The government, through the Home Ministry, became the essential enabler, providing the legal legitimacy for a sporting shortcut.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail went into damage control when confronted with the issue. The mechanism of this state facilitation is now clear.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution IsmailHis defence was: The players were granted citizenship under Article 19 of the Federal Constitution, and he exercised discretion under Article 20(1)(e) to waive residency requirements.
But legal experts, including Eric Paulsen of Lawyers for Liberty, swiftly dismantled that defence. The discretionary clause applies only to those who have already lived in Malaysia, not to individuals who have never set foot here.
Then came another bombshell from Saifuddin: Since 2018, 23 footballers have been granted citizenship. All would fail to meet the 10-year residency requirement; their status is now legally questionable.
Will the government revoke those citizenships, granted under dubious and possibly unlawful interpretations of the law?
What now?
Back to FAM’s “major war” in the appeal to CAS. In its October appeal to Fifa, as advised by its legal counsel, FAM threw the Home Ministry (read: the government) under the bus, claiming it (FAM) had no role in the forgery. That failed.
So, what is new, and what is the defence now?
TMJ has argued that Fifa’s Article 22 only punishes those who falsify or knowingly use falsified documents, implying the players are innocent.
But didn’t FAM already admit to a “technical error”? And if no one submitted false documents, why is Fifa in possession of original birth certificates that contradict the claimed heritage of the players?
Will the argument be that documents issued by Malaysia’s National Registration Department (NRD) are genuine, while those obtained by Fifa are false? What will be the narrative?
Multiple sources confirm the players’ grandparents were born elsewhere. The paper trail is damning.
This is not a war. It is a farce. And the longer it drags on, the more it exposes the rot beneath the surface of Malaysian football governance.
As Malaysia’s football body heads to CAS, it is not fighting for justice - it is fighting to survive its own scandal. - Mkini
R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist who tries to live up to the ethos of civil rights leader John Lewis: “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” Comments: [email protected]
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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