The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is facing a wave of fierce criticism after refusing to disclose information about the true origin of the 7 naturalized players identified by the World Football Association (FIFA) as showing signs of paper fraud.
In an urgent press conference held on the afternoon of October 17, FAM Vice President Sivasundaram said the organization could not disclose further details at the present time, saying the incident was still under review. This avoidant answer has made Malaysian public opinion even more skeptical about FAM's transparency in the scandal that shocked the country's football.
Two days earlier, FAM had filed an appeal with FIFA and hired an international lawyer to find a way to reduce the penalty. However, Malaysian media believes the possibility of success is very low, as the named players including Gabriel Palmero, facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holcado, Imanol Machuca, Joao figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel - all are considered not eligible for citizenship according to regulations.
A source from Malaysian media revealed that the Malaysian team could lose matches against Nepal and Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers due to using un playmaker.
FAM still affirmed that the incident was just an "advisory mistake" in the process of downloading incorrect documents from the intermediary agency, but this did not reduce public pressure. On October 17, the agency suspended General Secretary Khanman Azman Rahman to serve an internal investigation.
The results of Malaysia's appeal are expected to be announced by FIFA on October 30. Meanwhile, many fans in the region believe that FAM's silence and lack of transparency are seriously damaging the image of Malaysian football.
