According to Malaysian media, Mr. Joehari Ayub submitted his resignation on August 22 due to health reasons. However, Malaysian media believes that internal conflicts and pressure from the new player naturalization policy are the main causes.
After his final public appearance at FAM headquarters on August 11, he was almost silent, causing many questions from the public. Currently, Vice President Yusoff Mahadi is assigned the temporary authority to run the federation.
Mr. Joehari Ayub was elected FAM President in February 2025, replacing Mr. Hamidin Amin, with a term expected to last until 2029. During his short time in power, he attracted attention with a large-scale naturalization plan, thereby contributing to helping the Malaysian team achieve some positive results, notably a 4-0 victory over Vietnam in June.
However, this policy quickly faced controversy. The issue of transparency in the records of some naturalized players, especially the Argentine centre-back facundo Garces, caused a strong public reaction. Garces once revealed that only his maternal grandfather was Malaysian, this is a detail that does not meet FIFA regulations, which requires direct relationships from father, mother, grandfather or grandmother. After that, this player had to speak up to correct and call this a "match-ching mistake".
Malaysian fans are now asking FAM to provide a clear explanation, expressing concern about the future of the country's football if internal uncertainties continue.
