Fam Must Answer For Fifa Sanctions Not Just Appeal Pn

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It is not enough for the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to merely appeal the fine by the International Federation of Association Football (Fifa) over “doctored documentation”, said Perikatan Nasional chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan.
FAM must take responsibility for this unprecedented incident, he said in a statement today.
“PN also demands that an independent and transparent investigation be carried out immediately, involving not only those within the FAM, but also the relevant authorities.
“If it is proven that there are certain individuals who are guilty, they must be subject to appropriate action without compromise,” he said.
Earlier today, FAM acting president Yusoff Mahadi said the organisation will appeal against fines and suspensions meted out against it, as well as seven heritage players by Fifa.
Last night, Fifa revealed that it had imposed sanctions against FAM and seven players for breaches of Article 22 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code (FDC) on forgery and falsification.
The national team players involved were Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces, Rodrigo Julian Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal Iraurgui, and Hector Alexander Hevel Serrano, who were hit with a 12-month suspension from all football-related activities, effective immediately.
The seven players represented Malaysia against Vietnam for the third round of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 qualifiers on June 10.
Negligence or fraud?
Commenting further, Takiyuddin called on Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh to explain.
The opposition’s view is that it is not just a technical issue but a betrayal of the integrity of national sports, he added.
“The question is - who allowed these fake documents to be processed? Was there an element of negligence, or worse, an element of deliberate fraud?” he asked.
ADSThe fact that such an incident has never happened before is a testament to FAM’s loss of control and weakness, he went on to say.
Fifa said it had received a complaint regarding the eligibility of five of the players after Malaysia’s match against Vietnam.
After an evaluation of evidence, Fifa determined that FAM must pay a fine of 350,000 Swiss francs (RM1.9 million), while each of the seven players was also slapped with a 2,000 Swiss francs (RM10,500) fine.
The move also comes despite Fifa previously assuring all parties that FAM did not breach any regulations in its heritage players’ recruitment process and that all procedures fully complied with the rules.
In response, FAM said today that it and the players involved had acted in good faith and with full transparency. - Mkini

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