By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 9: Malaysia’s football fraternity has been thrown into disarray after FIFA revealed that several mixed-heritage players, who were registered as Malaysian, were in fact not born in Malaysia, and that forged documents were used to support their eligibility.
The findings have cast serious doubt on the integrity of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and its processes.
According to various national news, a disciplinary document signed by FIFA Disciplinary Committee deputy chairperson Jorge Palacio reported major discrepancies were found between the original birth certificates obtained by FIFA and those submitted by FAM to verify the players’ Malaysian heritage.
The seven players — Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, and Joao Figueiredo — were found to have allegedly violated Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which pertains to the falsification and use of forged documents.
FIFA’s investigation revealed that the players’ ancestral claims were based on individuals who, contrary to the documents provided, were not born in Malaysia. The ruling also cited confirmation from Malaysia’s National Registration Department (NRD) that original birth certificates were never submitted as part of the heritage verification process.
In its defence, FAM maintained that it had followed all proper procedures and acted in good faith, insisting that it was unaware of any falsified documents.
In response to FIFA’s 19-page Grounds of Judgement document, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh described the findings as “serious and damaging” to Malaysia’s reputation.
“Although FAM has issued a statement saying it was a technical error, a mistake by their staff, all of that needs improvement because the 19-page statement contains very serious remarks by FIFA, which tarnish the country’s image,” she told reporters at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 on Tuesday (Oct 7), after welcoming home Malaysia’s para-athletics heroes from the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships.
Yeoh added that the ministry will wait for the outcome of FAM’s appeal before making an official statement but acknowledged the anger and disappointment felt by local football fans.
“I also understand that all local football fans are naturally angry, disappointed and want to see improvements,” she said, urging Malaysians to continue supporting Harimau Malaya as the national team prepares for two Group F matches in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, against Laos in Vientiane on Oct 9 and in Kuala Lumpur next Tuesday (Oct 14).
FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has penalised both FAM and the seven players for breaching Article 22 involving document forgery related to the June 10 match against Vietnam.
FAM has been fined CHF350,000 (approximately RM1.8 million), while each player received a CHF2,000 (around RM10,560) fine and a 12-month ban from all football-related activities. — DayakDaily
