KUCHING: The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has refuted FIFA’s depiction in its recent disciplinary ruling, calling it inaccurate and misleading.
In a statement recently, FAM said the claim that certain players had “obtained or knowingly used falsified documents” was baseless, as no conclusive evidence had been presented.
“The heritage players involved are legitimate Malaysian citizens,” FAM stressed.
It explained that the issue stemmed from a wrong submission — an administrative error in which a staff member had mistakenly uploaded documents provided by an agent instead of those officially issued by the National Registration Department (JPN).
According to FAM, an official appeal is now being prepared using original, verified documents endorsed by the Malaysian government.
“FAM remains committed to upholding the integrity of Malaysian football based on facts and authentic documentation,” the statement added.
FIFA had earlier penalised Malaysia after finding irregularities in the documentation of seven heritage players’ eligibility.
The world governing body for football ruled that the players were fielded without proper verification, leading to sanctions and fines against FAM.
