This whole “We know what we’re doing” and “We know what’s best” nonsense has to stop. Period.
For far too long, Malaysians have been conditioned to accept whatever is thrown at them. Asking questions is frowned upon; those who do are labelled ‘troublemakers’. This disease, long rooted in politics, seems to have jumped species — infecting sports officials who mask their incompetence with fancy suits and ties.
Fifa’s revelation earlier today wasn’t just a piece of glass falling to the floor. Its splintering shards hit Malaysians hard — and painfully so.
The pain of seeing the guardian of the nation’s so-called No. 1 sport caught with its hand in the cookie jar, allegedly submitting false documentation to let foreign footballers wear national colours. The pain of stateless individuals who have waited years for legitimate recognition through proper documentation. And perhaps most damning of all, the pain of reading FAM’s enquiry, riddled with errors — including the country’s name, spelt as ‘MALASYA’. Ironic, since ‘malas’ means lazy in Bahasa Melayu.
And there’s more.
The pain of seeing certain quarters treat Malaysians like fools, expecting blind faith in the name of “patriotism”. The pain of seeing fans divided over the fiasco, deluded into thinking Fifa’s ruling can somehow be overturned — as if the world body operates like a pasar malam (night market) in Taman Kok Doh, Segambut.
Hogwash.
Football has been pampered for far too long. Millions of ringgit in taxpayers’ money have been poured into it, with nothing to show. Zilch. Nada. Nichevo. The national team still struggles in Southeast Asia, ranked a mediocre 123rd in the world. If rankings are a badge of pride for the blindly loyal, here’s a fact — war-ravaged Palestine is ranked 99th, while Cabo Verde, a West African archipelago with a population of 600,000, sits at 70th. Here’s another — most Malaysians can’t even name the starting eleven. Still think the sport’s that popular? Think again.
Yet, football keeps getting away with mediocrity, aided by politicians who sing praises of those in Wisma FAM and its stakeholders. During the tabling of Budget 2025, RM15 million was allocated to the national team, with another RM15 million flowing in from the private sector. It remains to be seen whether football will get even more when Budget 2026 is tabled this Friday.
This fiasco has become the talk of ordinary Malaysians — and even members of the royal household.
Fingers are being pointed at the government, particularly the Home Ministry, for alleged double standards in handling citizenship applications for footballers compared to stateless individuals.
Equally baffling — why couldn’t the National Registration Department perform the same verification checks as Fifa before granting citizenship? How many more passports have been handed out this way?
On Jan 11, Tunku Ismail Ibrahim posted on social media: “We have identified 6-7 heritage players for Harimau Malaya and hope the Malaysian government can assist in obtaining Malaysian passports for them to play in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, which start in March.”
Tunku Ismail, the owner of Johor Darul Ta’zim and Regent of Johor, signs off as a member of the royal family — even when discussing football. Authorities are quick to penalise anyone who touches on race, religion or royalty. Here, silence reigns.
Who exactly is the “we” that identified these so-called heritage players? Was an agent involved? Were documents submitted to prove these players’ Malaysian roots? To date, FAM has produced no proof of heritage for the seven footballers.
Fifa’s probe reveals original birthplace of the grandparents of the seven footballers. Instead, FAM this afternoon said Fifa did not provide an accurate description of its decision, and that the world body’s allegation that the players had obtained or was aware of forged documents is unfounded, “as no solid evidence has been presented thus far”. The national body insisted that the seven footballers are Malaysians.
“As previously explained, the error that occurred stemmed from a wrong submission — an administrative mistake — when a staff member mistakenly uploaded a document from an agent instead of the official document issued by the National Registration Department,” FAM said in a statement.
The seven played in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against Vietnam on June 10, which Malaysia won 4-0. After the match, national coach Peter Cklamovski said: “Internal issues are ongoing – elements of betrayal, politics, and daily internal issues are challenges we face.”
Come on, mate. Clarify. Just spill the beans. And while we’re at it, here’s a friendly reminder to national team CEO Rob Friend — show up when it matters, not just when the tulips are in full bloom or when you’re in a ‘controlled environment’ where your colleagues in Wisma FAM lob questions as soft as cumulonimbus clouds.
Malaysians have seen too many foreigners come and go under the pretext of creating change. The only real change is the padding of their résumés. That’s it.
No one seems willing to address the fundamental problem in Malaysian football — development. The truth is, there are no shortcuts. Not in life. Not in football. Development takes time. It has to start somewhere, and it has to start now.
This fiasco goes beyond FAM and football. It strikes at the nation’s integrity. It’s a national embarrassment — coming just as Malaysia prepares to host world leaders at the 47th Asean Summit later this month.
This episode cannot be taken lightly or swept under the artificial turf. FAM can no longer act like it is God’s gift to Malaysian sports. Its officials should hang their heads in shame over the doctored documentation scandal involving seven “Malaysian” footballers.
While FAM has mastered the art of issuing letters of demand to newsrooms that publish unflattering reports, it is Malaysians who should be sending FAM a letter of demand — for answers, accountability, and for heads to roll.
