KUALA LUMPUR — The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has distanced itself from claims that it instructed or compelled the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) executive committee to tender a collective resignation, stressing that any such move would be meaningless unless accompanied by genuine structural reform.
AFC general secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John said the continental body had merely outlined the available options to FAM amid ongoing governance concerns, and did not advise or pressure officials to step down — even as the association faces the prospect of FIFA sanctions.
Speaking to Scoop, Windsor said the decision rests entirely with FAM.
“We are not forcing anyone. We only laid out the options, and it is up to FAM to make the decision,” he said when asked whether the proposed mass resignation originated from AFC guidance.
Windsor warned that resignations carried little value if they were purely symbolic.
“If resignations are done merely for the sake of appearances, then it is better not to resign at all,” he said, adding that true accountability can only come through proper statute reviews, policy checks and a full administrative audit.
He stressed that the AFC’s position is that resignation and reform must be treated as a single package.
“Any resignation must go hand in hand with reforms and the election process,” he said.
Windsor cautioned that mishandling the situation could lead to serious international consequences, including possible action by FIFA.
“If the situation is not handled correctly, FIFA could take action, including the possibility of suspension,” he said.
According to Windsor, FAM is effectively faced with two options — to initiate its own internal clean-up or risk external intervention through a FIFA-led Normalisation Committee.
“In any organisation, there are only two choices — change is either forced upon you, or you choose to change yourself,” he said.
He added that any audit by the AFC would only commence after the FAM executive committee reaches a decision, with its scope dependent on the severity of the governance issues uncovered.
“Before you go to the doctor, you do not know how serious the problem is. We need to run the necessary tests to determine what is actually wrong,” he said.
Ultimately, Windsor said developments hinge on the outcome of the upcoming FAM executive committee meeting, noting that a reversal would render current plans irrelevant.
“If the executive committee decides not to resign, then all of these plans will no longer apply,” he said.
On Wednesday, Scoop reported that FAM’s executive committee is preparing to submit a collective resignation as early as next week, in what insiders described as a strategic move to avert international intervention.
Sources familiar with internal deliberations said the resignations are intended to pre-empt the appointment of a FIFA-led Normalisation Committee, which would otherwise assume control of Malaysian football administration.
FAM has been under intensified scrutiny since last year after FIFA imposed disciplinary sanctions for breaches of Article 22, involving falsified documentation linked to seven naturalised players — Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garcés, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, João Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Héctor Hevel.
In November, FIFA dismissed appeals by both FAM and the players. The association was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (approximately RM1.8 million), while each player was fined 2,000 Swiss francs (around RM10,600) and handed a 12-month ban from all football-related activities.
FAM was also ordered to pay an additional 10,000 Swiss francs (about RM51,400), while Malaysia’s results in three international friendlies were annulled, with 3–0 victories awarded to Cape Verde, Singapore and Palestine.
Further complications loom for Harimau Malaya, with the AFC expected to deduct points from Malaysia’s 2027 Asian Cup qualifying campaign, pending the outcome of FAM’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Matches under review include Malaysia’s 2–0 win over Nepal on March 25 and the 4–0 victory against Vietnam on June 10, both now central to the ongoing disciplinary fallout. — January 22, 2026