Satees Files Report Against Jpn Fam Over Allegedly Falsified Documents

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Urimai secretary calls for a thorough investigation and action against all parties involved in the scandal.
Urimai secretary Satees Muniandy said JPN and FAM used falsified documents to obtain Malaysian citizenship for the players in order for them to represent the Harimau Malaya squad in the Asia Cup qualifier. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: Urimai secretary Satees Muniandy has lodged a report against officials from the national registration department (JPN) and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) over the alleged falsification of documents for seven foreign football players
In a statement, Satees claimed that JPN and FAM had used falsified documents to obtain Malaysian citizenship for the players in order for them to represent the Harimau Malaya squad in the Asia Cup qualifier.
“Those involved in this disgraceful scheme must be held accountable under the country’s security laws,” he said, adding that the report was filed at the Dang Wangi police headquarters yesterday.
He said every individual involved in the case, including the seven footballers, must be investigated thoroughly, with action taken against all those who “committed this act of betrayal against Malaysia”.
Fifa recently accused FAM of submitting doctored documents to field the players in an Asian Cup qualifier.
A probe by the global football body found falsified documents claiming that the players’ grandparents were Malaysian when records showed they were born in Spain, Argentina, Brazil and the Netherlands.
The seven players facing sanction by Fifa are Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces, Rodrigo Julian Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal Iraurgui and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano.
Yesterday, home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said JPN had invoked Section 10A of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1957 when issuing birth certificates for the grandparents of the football players.
Saifuddin said the provision allowed the registrar-general or JPN director-general to register births if satisfied with the evidence provided that the birth had occurred.
He also maintained that JPN had not detected any falsification of documents, and that all seven players met the constitutional requirements for Malaysian citizenship.
FAM meanwhile maintains that it will appeal the sanctions. It also disputes Fifa’s findings, saying the international football organisation provided no evidence to support its claims.
Under Fifa’s regulations, a player seeking to represent a country must have been born in the territory of the relevant football association – in this case, FAM – or have a parent or grandparent born there. - FMT

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