PETALING JAYA – The Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, told the Malaysian football community to be ready for the worst, pending the outcome of the appeal against FIFA’s crippling sanctions over the heritage player scandal, while vowing to escalate the fight to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) if necessary.
Prior to the appeal, FIFA had already handed down severe 12-month bans and fines to the seven players involved and imposed a significant fine on the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). The outcome of the appeal is expected on October 30.
Despite the grim warning, Tunku Ismail maintained a defiant stance during a special press conference today, insisting that the players were legitimate Malaysians and that the documents provided to FAM were authentic.
Speaking to the local press at a hotel in Subang Jaya, he placed the ultimate responsibility for document verification on government agencies, not the football association.
“That you have to ask JPN (National Registration Department). If JPN is satisfied with the documents given by FAM, that is the discretion of JPN,” Tunku Ismail stated.
“It’s up to the government to make an assessment and decide. That is their prerogative. Not us.”
He revealed that regardless of the appeal’s outcome, FAM is prepared to take the matter to the highest legal body in sports if the sanctions are upheld.
“After that, I think FAM will likely take this case to CAS, and we will see how we can help them from there,” he declared, signalling a readiness for a protracted legal battle to clear the players’ names and the association’s reputation.
The Regent, who called the press conference to clear his name after being implicated in the affair, reiterated his belief in the players’ innocence and expressed his sympathy for their current predicament.
“I wish all the best to the national team, FAM, and also the players who are not at fault. I hope one day they will be able to represent their country,” he said in his closing remarks.
However, he confirmed that the players are currently in limbo, with no financial support being offered while they await the verdict.
“For now, no, there has been no discussion regarding that,” he said, in reference to compensating their salaries.
Tunku Ismail clarified that his involvement in the national team project was informal, describing his role as merely an “assistant” to help secure budgets and improve infrastructure, and denied any conflict of interest arising from his ownership of Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT). – October 25, 2025