KUALA LUMPUR – The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has appointed former Chief Justice Tun Md Raus Sharif as chairman of an independent committee tasked with investigating the documentation controversy involving seven Harimau Malaya “heritage players” who were handed 12-month suspensions by FIFA.
In a statement today, FAM said the appointment fulfils its earlier commitment to form an independent body — one completely detached from the association — to ensure transparency and credibility in the inquiry process.
The decision follows a crisis that erupted last month after FIFA imposed bans on seven Malaysian players with dual nationality, citing irregularities in their registration and eligibility documents.
The sanctions, which shocked local fans and jeopardised Malaysia’s preparations for upcoming international fixtures, prompted widespread calls for accountability from both the government and the national football governing body.
At a press conference on October 17, FAM deputy president Datuk S. Sivasundaram had announced plans for the formation of the independent committee, assuring that no FAM official would be involved to guarantee impartiality in the investigation.
Md Raus, who served as Malaysia’s Chief Justice from 2017 to 2018, brings more than four decades of legal and judicial experience to the role.
He began his career in the Judicial and Legal Service in 1976, holding key positions including magistrate, sessions court president, deputy public prosecutor, and legal adviser to several states and ministries.
He was appointed judicial commissioner in 1994, promoted to High Court judge in 1996, and later became president of the Court of Appeal before reaching the judiciary’s top post.
Internationally, Md Raus has served as president of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions, and was an active member of the Council of Asean Chief Justices.
“Based on his credibility and extensive experience, FAM is confident that Tun Md Raus, together with committee members to be appointed by him, will conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation before presenting their findings,” the association said.
The timeline for the probe and the full composition of the committee have yet to be announced.
Calls for an independent probe had been growing in recent weeks. During an episode of the Trick Lama podcast — hosted by Big Boom Media founders Datuk Zainul Arifin, Terence Fernandez, and Datuk Ahirudin Attan — Ahirudin, who is also the company’s executive director, urged that a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) be established since no answers were forthcoming from the government nor FAM.
He said such an RCI should be led by an “independent and credible” panel to determine what went wrong and how to restore public trust in Malaysian football. — October 27, 2025