Sharing with the media on February 3, famous sports lawyer Nik Erman Nik Roseli said that the chance for the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and 7 naturalized players to win the FIFA penalty lawsuit at the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is very low.
On social media platforms, the Malaysian lawyer also pointed out issues related to the naturalization of national football players in this country in the past time. Mr. Nik Erman Nik Roseli affirmed that FAM's violations are not only a sports issue but also related to nationality.
Why were 7 people who did not have Malaysian blood and did not meet the constitutional requirements granted citizenship? Is the Minister using his power appropriately and correctly?
Forging papers is a criminal matter, but this scandal is being discussed from a sports perspective. While nationality and criminal status remain silent, it's sad," lawyer Nik Erman Nik Roseli shared.
According to Mr. Nik Erman, the hearing on the FAM case and 7 naturalized players will take place on February 26, but the final decision may be announced in March, before the rematch against Vietnam in the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
Based on the current violations, Malaysia's illegal naturalization is similar to Timor Leste before. This team was once banned from participating in the 2023 Asian Cup for forging papers, and related players' passports were canceled. Therefore, lawyer Nik Erman Nik Roseli believes that Malaysia cannot avoid losing the lawsuit and receiving penalties like Timor Leste.
A major document forgery scandal has occurred, so I don't think that the resignation of FAM leaders can solve the problem. FIFA has confirmed that the documents were forged and what they want to see is identifying the perpetrators and handling measures," football expert Pekan Ramli emphasized.
Currently, Malaysian football experts hope that FAM will have specific changes, restructuring and real reforms. In the event that after AFC intervenes and members of the executive committee who previously announced their resignation continue to return to operation, FIFA may raise many questions and intervene again, banning Malaysian football.
