Previously, the Australian strategist caused a stir in public opinion when he said that FAM must take full responsibility for the case of 7 Malaysian players being sanctioned by FIFA for invalid naturalization records. He also spoke out to defend the Royal Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim - who is considered a figure with great influence in Malaysian football.
Without Tunku Ismail, Malaysian football has been collapsing for a long time. All the resources and support come from him, not FAM, Mr. Cklamovski once said.
These words caused public division. Some agreed, while many people thought that this coach should not publicly criticize the main organization that was paying him.
However, at a press conference before the return match against Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers at noon on October 13, coach Peter Cklamovski apologized to FAM.
My previous statement was not intended to insult or criticize the Federation. If anyone felt hurt, I apologize. I just want to emphasize Mr. Tunku Ismail's contributions to Malaysian football, not to hold anyone accountable," he shared.
According to Malaysian media,underunder Tunku Ismail is currently the owner of Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) club and plays an important role in developing facilities as well as training players. However, public opinion still questioned the extent of his involvement in the illegal naturalization of national players.
Meanwhile, the AFC has set a deadline for FAM to complete the report and submit documents related to the incident. If it fails to prove transparency in the naturalization process, Malaysia could face a heavy penalty from FIFA.
