KUALA LUMPUR – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has clarified that it does not have the authority to investigate the alleged document falsification involving seven Malaysian footballers.
AFC Secretary-General Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John emphasised that the confederation cannot investigate or penalise individuals implicated in the matter.
“AFC is not the police. I want to make this very clear that we are not an enforcement body. We do not have the power to arrest or summon anyone. That authority lies with the proper legal or governmental authorities,” Windsor said during a press conference at Wisma FAM today, which was held to provide updates on the ongoing internal reform processes within the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
He explained that the AFC’s role is to uphold governance and regulatory standards, ensuring transparency and integrity in football administration. Any disciplinary action falls under the jurisdiction of the relevant authorities or the AFC Disciplinary Committee when officials are found to have breached regulations.
“If a football official has acted improperly, the matter may be referred to the AFC Disciplinary Committee. The committee will then review the rules, determine what violations occurred, and impose any appropriate sanctions,” he added.
Windsor also stressed that the case involving Timor-Leste’s ineligible players during the 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers is entirely separate from the Malaysian player issue, urging the public and critics not to compare the two cases.
“We had a case involving Timor-Leste, but it is very different from the situation with Harimau Malaya. In Timor-Leste’s case, the qualifiers had already ended when the issue was discovered. You cannot punish them retroactively; any action has to be forward-looking. That is why Timor-Leste was barred from the next edition.
“For Malaysia, the situation is different because the issue was identified while the 2027 qualifiers are still ongoing. You cannot compare the two cases. Disciplinary powers must be applied according to the timing and context of each situation,” he said. – March 16, 2026