Exactly nine years ago today, Malaysians took to the streets demanding integrity, accountability and free and fair elections from the then ruling Barisan Nasional government.
Kuala Lumpur turned yellow on Nov 19, 2016, as Bersih 5 rally-goers showed then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak the red card during the height of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal.
It was a moment eagerly seized by opposition politicians pushing for ‘ubah’ (change). Yet today, many of them sit comfortably in Putrajaya, silent over another national embarrassment – forged documents involving seven footballers drafted into Harimau Malaya.
Malaysian football, the nation’s image and the Jalur Gemilang have been dragged through the mud by individuals who believe they stand above the sport.
The Fifa Appeal Committee’s 63-page report, released yesterday, laid out its findings plainly. It questioned FAM, its secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman, and the Home Ministry – via the National Registration Department – for relying on dubious, second-hand documents to award citizenship to players with no Malaysian links.
The Committee said this should have triggered a criminal probe. Yet police, informed in September via a report by Urimai secretary Satees Muniandy, later claimed no criminality.
Denials, reluctance to investigate and familiar silence. Instead of billions lost, this scandal has cost Malaysians trust. Integrity flushed away. Malaysia’s dignity at stake.
Is it fear? Or the belief that sport does not matter?
The report, released less than 24 hours before Malaysia’s 1-0 win over Nepal, exposed a coordinated attempt to deceive Fifa and Malaysians. FAM officials appeared to treat the matter like a pasar malam transaction, assuming their ‘titles’ and ‘connections’ would shield them. They were wrong.
The seven foreign footballers were, at best, ignorant. Their lack of professionalism was glaring. The supposedly “world-class” national setup – desperate to distance itself – is equally culpable, including national players who chose silence. Spineless.
Newsrooms yesterday raced to unpack the report, but it raised deeper questions:
1. Rob Friend’s role – consultant or CEO?
FAM named Friend CEO on Dec 31, 2024. Yet the report quoted him saying he works “in a consultant role” from Canada, flying in only for matchdays and assisting the heritage-player project.
He later told Astro Arena he is indeed CEO and that his earlier comment referred only to his scope of work.
So what exactly is his role? How did this remote CEO arrangement arise? Who pays for his travel from Canada?
2. Agents named, players had zero Malaysian links
For the first time, the agents’ names were revealed: Ivan Cristovinho, Federico Raspanti, Nicolas Puppo, Frederico Moraes, Flavio Alexandre and Ronald Vega.
They dealt with the seven footballers – Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces, Rodrigo Julian Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal Iraurgui and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano.
Arrocha handed his agent his grandmother’s birth certificate. Others submitted WhatsApp screenshots of grandparents’ documents to their agents – all showing no Malaysian connections.
Who in FAM accepted these papers? What was agreed? Why were they even entertained?
One certificate even listed a grandmother as “male”.
The Committee said it was “inexplicable” that none of the players questioned their agents about the forged documents or their suspensions. They signed blindly. Ignorant, plain and simple.
3. Is FAM tongue-tied or does it just not care?
The Committee said it could not find any explanation for what happened between the document submissions and the players’ appearances. Neither the players nor FAM provided answers. The forger(s) remains unknown.
Despite several statements and two press conferences – one by FAM and another by the Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Ibrahim – questions remain. What was the arrangement between the “three entities” – FAM, the national team and Tunku Ismail – mentioned by Friend on Oct 17? Who made the final call to sign up the footballers?
4. FAM sec-gen’s suspension not taken seriously
The Committee questioned FAM’s suspension of Noor Azman after he was seen at the Asean–Fifa Memorandum of Understanding signing on Oct 26 – despite being suspended on Oct 17.
When confronted by this writer, he shrugged: “Kenapa, tak boleh?”
He mingled freely with Youth and Sports Ministry officials. No one questioned him. Integrity, once again, optional.
5. Remedial steps superficial and for PR
FAM admitted the documents were tampered with but attempted to downplay the severity while offering cosmetic fixes. The Committee said this reflected systemic governance failures and a lack of genuine accountability.
Why the secrecy? Why not explain what happened? Who forged the documents?
The National Registration Department and the Home Ministry also owe Malaysians clearer answers.
Fans unfurled banners at the National Stadium last night – one reading “Jangan gadaikan maruah negara”.
This episode cannot be swept aside. The law must be upheld. The trust of Malaysians must be protected.
FAM has failed us. The system is compromised. Sport has been reduced to a personal playground. And too many simply do not care.
The onus is now on Malaysians to speak up. The demand for integrity, accountability, and transparency must continue.
