KUCHING: Sarawak’s Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has expressed concern over FIFA’s sanctions on the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
He stressed that the alleged use of forged documents to field naturalised players is damaging to the nation’s sporting image.
On Friday, FIFA announced on its official website that its Disciplinary Committee had found FAM guilty of violating Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which governs forgery and falsification.
The case stemmed from Malaysia’s Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam on June 10, 2025, after FIFA received a complaint regarding the eligibility of the naturalised players fielded.
As a result, FIFA imposed penalties: FAM was fined CHF350,000 (about RM1.85 million), while Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomás Garcés, Rodrigo Julián Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, João Vitor Brandão Figueiredo, Jon Irazábal Iraurgui, and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano were each fined CHF2,000 (about RM10,586) and handed 12-month bans from all football activities, effective immediately.
FIFA underscored that the ruling was necessary to safeguard the integrity of the game and to ensure compliance with international rules.
Reacting to the development, Abdul Karim said it was regrettable that Malaysian football had been dragged into such controversy.
He stressed that sports must rest on credibility and fair play, and any actions that undermine these principles would tarnish the nation’s reputation.
“If it is true that FAM has resorted to forgery in order to field supposedly naturalised players under the banner of Malaysia, then this is despicable and a scam of the highest order.
“It is a shame that we have to resort to such lengths just to win games. I truly hope what I am reading is not true,” he told Sarawak Tribune when contacted.
In a recent statement, FAM’s acting president Datuk Wira Mohd Yusoff Mahadi confirmed that the association will lodge an appeal against the decision.
“FAM will use all available channels and legal procedures to protect the interests of the players and the national team.
“We remain committed to acting firmly, in accordance with international regulations, and defending the integrity of Malaysian football,” he said.
According to FIFA, FAM has 10 days to file its appeal in a bid to avoid sanctions that could derail Malaysia’s Asian Cup campaign.
