According to Malaysian media, Bank Islam's logo has no longer appeared on the electronic advertising board in Malaysia's match against Nepal in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
The logo of this bank also disappeared from the FAM homepage, raising suspicions that the business withdrew due to the impact of the scandal. When contacted, Bank Islam representative declined to comment.
Sports finance experts believe that this move comes from the need to protect the image of public limited liability (PLC).
Professor Sayf Ismail, University of Malaya, said that listed companies always have a termination clause when partners are involved in serious violations.
When FAM was found guilty of fraud by FIFA, the sponsors brand was at risk of being affected. This is the reason they are considering withdrawing, Mr. Ismail analyzed.
Islam Bank is a long-time partner of FAM and has just extended its sponsorship contract for 2 years in mid-2025.
If the decision to leave is confirmed, FAM will lose one of its most important financial resources in the context of a tight budget.
Previously, the Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports temporarily suspended additional allocations for FAMs after the naturalization scandal.
Meanwhile, on the afternoon of November 24, the Football Federation of Malaysia continued to publish information related to additional penalties for Malaysian football.
The agency is still in the process of reviewing all documents, including the possibility of losing matches with players who are not eligible to compete.
The naturalization scandal is causing great consequences for FAM, from reputational damage, loss of fan trust to the risk of serious decline in financial resources in the coming time.
