KUALA LUMPUR — Reporters grilled Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) officials today over the country’s biggest football scandal in decades, as its leadership struggled to explain how seven suspended players obtained Malaysian citizenship using falsified ancestry documents.
What began as a routine media conference at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya quickly turned confrontational when deputy president Datuk S. Sivasundaram insisted the players were legitimate heritage recruits — even as he admitted he could not confirm when their documents were processed or who verified their family ties.
“We are confident that these seven players have Malaysian heritage. The documents we possess indicate clear ancestral links, and we are cooperating fully with the authorities to ensure the truth is established,” he said.
But the claim sparked more questions than it answered. How could their applications, reportedly submitted in January, be approved by May — is this normal in Malaysia’s citizenship process? And who is in FAM had checked the veracity of their lineage?
“That’s under the Home Ministry’s jurisdiction,” Sivasundaram replied, adding that FAM “believed” the players had qualified through ancestry — a phrase that triggered a chorus of follow-ups.
“That’s precisely why we’re setting up an independent committee to investigate,” he added, visibly on the defensive.
FAM earlier announced the immediate suspension of secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman to facilitate the probe, after FIFA slapped the association with a 350,000 Swiss franc (RM1.85 million) fine as well as 12-month bans for the seven players and a fine of 2,000 Swiss francs (RM10,000) each.
The players — Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garcés, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, João Figueiredo, Jon Irazábal and Hector Hevel — were found to have submitted falsified ancestry documents that falsely claimed Malaysian grandparents.
Sivasundaram also repeated FAM’s earlier suggestion that the complaint originated from Vietnam, though he conceded it was based on assumption rather than evidence.
FAM lodged its appeal on October 15, with acting president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi saying the body acted swiftly after receiving FIFA’s full judgment on October 7.
Leading the legal challenge is Serge Vittoz of Charles Russell Speechlys, who described the case as “complex but resolvable” and said the Appeal Committee’s verdict is expected on October 30.
“FIFA’s Appeal Committee will make its decision on October 30, and the outcome will be communicated either on the same day or the following day.
“The appeal seeks to have all sanctions annulled and to prove neither the players nor FAM committed forgery,” Vittoz told reporters. — October 17, 2025